As White as Blood (Remastered)
by AkatsukiMemberWoolfy
Summary: Sasori of the Red Sand didn't turn into the mass murdering Akatsuki member overnight. It took a lot of time, a lot of living and a lot of choices. This story follows the entire life of Sasori. Eventual SasoDei. A rewrite of my 2011/2012 fanfiction.
1. As White as Blood

**Warning:** The following story contains strong course language, lots of gore and several SasoDei sex scenes EVENTUALLY. If any of these make you uncomfortable then please don't force yourself.

The original was started on April 1st 2011 and finished December 21st 2011. The remastering began on the 17th of December 2018 and is still ongoing. The characters aren't mine, I just waste my life smooshing their faces together.

This is dedicated to Yami, Keono, Selyann, Sasori and to all the fans of the original story. Your reviews have really moved me, and you are the sole reason I wanted to give you the best possible telling of Sasori's life, even long after the SasoDei fandom has dwindled.

 **As White as Blood - Remastered**

 _'He did not wear his scarlet coat,  
For blood and wine are red,  
And blood and wine were on his hands  
When they found him with the dead.  
The poor dead woman whom he loved,  
And murdered in her bed._

…

 _I only knew what hunted thought  
Quickened his step, and why  
He looked upon the garish day  
With such a wistful eye;  
The man had killed the thing he loved,  
And so he had to die._

 _Yet each man kills the thing he loves,  
By each let this be heard,  
Some do it with a bitter look,  
Some with a flattering word,  
The coward does it with a kiss,  
The brave man with a sword!_

…

 _Some love too little, some too long,  
Some sell, and others buy;  
Some do the deed with many tears,  
And some without a sigh:  
For each man kills the thing he loves,  
Yet each man does not die._

 _He does not die a death of shame  
On a day of dark disgrace,  
Nor have a noose about his neck,  
Nor a cloth upon his face,  
Nor drop feet foremost through the floor  
Into an empty space.'_

-Exert from 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' by Oscar Wilde

-o-

 **Chapter One**

 **As White as Blood**

My name is Sasori of the Red Sand, and I grew up to be a mass murdering member of the organization known infamously as the Akatsuki. I joined when I was sixteen years old (twenty if you wish to get technical about it), and I was a part of the group until I died for the second time at the age of thirty-five, unless I was still considered a member the third time I died.

Now, before you get confused, I've died three times in my short life. The first time I lost my body, the second time I lost my mind, and the final time I lost my soul.

But enough about that. Let's just say, I was a bad person; at least that is what utter idiots would call me.

My story started typically. My parents met at fifteen, married at nineteen, and I was born the same year as their wedding. I even cried when I was born. They were Shinobi: ninjas who worked for their village and performed missions for a fee. You might believe this made my childhood unique, but this was very commonplace in my world. Needless to say, my parents were often away. Generally, I lived a normal life for a Sunagakure child, at least for the first few years.

When I was five, things took a drastic turn, so this will be the starting point of my story. In my time I had dear friends and I had ruthless enemies; some too loyal, some insane, and most just plain stupid.

So then, how did I turn from what the dim-witted would consider 'Good' into what they'd consider 'Bad'? You will now learn firsthand of the trials and the psychological metamorphosis that I, Sasori of the Red Sand, experienced from my birth to my death.

I wronged so many people over the course of my life…So many people. I can't change that now, but this story will be my penance. It won't right my wrongs or change what I've done, but perhaps it'll help _you_ answer the one question I'm sure is on your mind: _Why?_

Now then, let's start at the beginning, before my soul was as white as blood.

-x-

 _Five Years Old_

Sasori's parents had yet to come home. The two had been away, fighting valiantly in the war against Konohagakure, for a few long months already. Sure, he still had his Granny Chiyo, but the busy woman was a poor substitute. Often she locked herself away in her workshop, or occupied herself with brewing foul smelling poisons. She was obsessed with the war and young Sasori was simply a second priority. Still, that wasn't a bad thing, and it certainly wasn't his place to complain about it. The war was important. All he could do was wait for his parents to return.

Granny Chiyo had been by his side when they'd left the village. He'd waved goodbye, as any child would have done, and he'd never complained or made a fuss about their departure. It was for the good of the village, so he had no right to get upset.

Now Sasori sat all alone in his bedroom, gazing at the photos set up beside his bed. In one photo the redhead was just a baby, held by his mother while his father smiled pleasantly by her side. The five-year-old raised his eyebrows, wondering when his parents would return home. He hoped it would be soon…

Sasori turned to the window and watched the rosy sun in the distance, but he was distracted when the door unexpectedly opened. He snapped around, hoping with all his might it was his Mother and Father.

Sasori's Granny stood in the doorway, a calm smile lighting her face. "There you are, Sweetie," she said with gentle words. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

The child blinked his large brown eyes at the woman, momentarily unsure, but a sad smile slowly reached his lips. "Can we, Granny?" he asked, failing to keep the excitement from his voice. She nodded and Sasori got off his large bed, following his guardian with childish eagerness.

The war was always her top priority, but sometimes she still managed to find the time for her quiet grandson.

-x- 

All was well while they walked, or at least for a time. The sun shone high in the never-ending sky while the rays danced across the burnt land and its inhabitants, kissing their faces with loving warmth. Sasori was used to the heat of his home; he'd never journeyed anywhere else and he was too young to comprehend just how different the vast lands beyond could truly be. To Sasori, the entire world was a desert.

A young boy collapsed in front of him and his Granny, interrupting their pleasant stroll. The crying child's faithful parents immediately went to their son's aid, kneeling to his height and helping him stand. Once he was on his feet, both parents took his hands and led him away.

Sasori felt a sharp, unidentifiable sensation in the pit of his stomach at the sight of the unbroken family and he gazed at them with yearning eyes. Why weren't Sasori's parents home yet? Would they come to help him if he cried? But why would he ever cry over something so small? His parents were saving the village. They were heroes. It was not Sasori's place to be upset.

Even so, he achingly watched the family as they walked away into their happy lives, leaving the redhead all alone.

"Sasori?"

Right, he wasn't all alone. It wasn't the same as having his Mother and Father, but Granny Chiyo was still something, and something would have to be enough. He turned his head to look at her and the woman's eyes widened ever so slightly.

Sasori was smiling, despite the emotions that constricted his stomach. "Granny Chiyo, can we grab a snack?"

The woman smiled back. "Y-Yes, all right."

Sasori nodded and walked in front of her, intent on getting rid of this odd feeling that plagued him inside.

-x-

The sun was almost gone and Sasori once again sat alone in his room, holding his photograph intently. His attention drifted from the frame when he heard the door creak open. He hid the picture behind his back and looked to see who it was, ever hopeful.

"Huh?" he breathed. No one was there. He noticed movement on the floor. A small plain puppet watched him from around the doorframe and, upon being spotted, shakily stepped into his room. It kneeled onto its jointed legs and politely bowed at the redhead. Sasori couldn't help but laugh with amusement as Chiyo entered the room behind the puppet. "Granny?"

"Do you like it, Sasori?" she asked affectionately. She smiled in a way that made him feel almost better. "This is a Puppet Master Jutsu that is as old as our family is. What do you think? Do you want to learn it?"

Sasori blinked at her again. "Really?" he asked. "You can teach me?"

"Well now," Chiyo cooed softly, "come with me and you will see." Sasori placed the frame on the bed and stood up, intent on learning the cool technique. They walked through the ordinary house to an insignificant doorway he had never explored before: Granny's workroom.

Chiyo opened the door. Light entered the dark chamber and Sasori peered under his Granny's arm. She let the redhead enter before her and he surveyed the dark room with absolute awe.

"Every puppet in our village ends up here at some point or another," she explained. "Every single prototype and unfinished puppet ever made." They walked deeper inside and Sasori gazed at the lifeless bodies of the marionettes. Some were humanoid, others looked like animals; all were fascinating yet unfinished. "Sasori…Everything in here is yours to use as you please. I want you to build your own puppet."

"My…My own puppet?" Chiyo nodded and smiled. He looked curiously at the rows of dolls. "But how?"

The woman led Sasori to the workbench and sat on one of the chairs while the redhead sat on the other, waiting eagerly for the chance to learn. "Listen to me, child, and let me show you. I hope one day you'll be an even greater Puppet Master than me." She laughed, and something sparkled in Sasori's innocent eyes at the prospect of building himself some loyal companions.

-x-

"And that is how you make a puppet," Chiyo finalized. Sasori stared in amazement at the small dove his Granny had put together. "Now watch…" Visible 'strings' of chakra emerged from the woman's fingertips and attached themselves to the wooden bird.

The wings moved. At first its brand-new joints creaked, but the sound stopped with repeated motion. It flapped harder and faster and was soon hovering off the table's surface. Sasori watched in awe as it flew higher and higher and Chiyo made it wheel playfully through the air.

The five-year-old laughed with absolute delight as the puppet continued to replicate the movements of its living counterpart.

If he squinted, he couldn't tell the difference between the wooden bird and the real thing.

It soon settled on the workbench and the small redhead blinked at it, curious as to what it would do next. Instead Chiyo said, "Now you try."

Sasori was taken aback at first. Could he even hope to replicate his Granny's talent? Well, it was in his blood, so he was going to try! He lifted his hands with his fingers pointed at the dove, and after a few seconds…Absolutely nothing happened.

Sasori's brow creased as he concentrated harder; he was giving himself a headache. He stopped holding his breath and looked to his Granny, his expression sad and hopeless. "Granny, it's not moving…"

"That's alright," she said gently. "I'm here to help you. First, since you're just a beginner, you must-" Sasori couldn't resist yawning, despite how impolite the action was. Chiyo looked ready to chastise him but must've thought better of it. "…Oh my! I just realised it's far past your bed time!"

The tired redhead shook his head, "Please Granny, I want to learn…" Chiyo sighed and ruffled Sasori's hair. He was tired and cranky.

"Oh Sweetie, we'll have time tomorrow; go to bed now." She stood from the chair and picked up the bird, offering it to the redhead. He took the dove and solemnly stood as well. "Tomorrow, I promise you'll be able to make this bird fly, but let it sleep for now."

Sasori nodded dejectedly. "Thank you, Granny Chiyo." The woman took him through the workshop and led him back to his familiar bedroom. "Good night, Granny." He entered his dark room and placed the bird on the table amongst his forgotten photographs.

Chiyo smiled tenderly at her grandson as he climbed into the bed. "Good night, Sweetie." She closed the door, leaving Sasori with nothing but the moon to illuminate his sparse bedroom.

The five-year-old immediately sat up in his bed, his eyes set on the wooden bird. He lifted his hands and tried to move it again, but no matter how much he concentrated the joints refused to obey him.

Sasori inevitably fell asleep, but in his dreams he was flying. He flapped his arms and the giant puppet he rode mimicked his motions. Together they soared through the clear sky while the never-ending desert stretched out below. He laughed and cried from utter bliss, completely forgetting about his real-life woes.

Sasori wanted to fly.

-x-

"Okay then, Sasori," said Chiyo with an air of importance. Sasori and his Granny sat in the middle of the Creation Room with the dove-puppet sitting between them. "Let me show you how to make it move." Chakra strings formed from her fingertips, connecting to the bird. It instantly came to life as the little wooden creature flexed its legs both methodically and realistically. "The Puppet Master Technique is a ninjutsu ability that transforms your chakra into strings. By attaching these 'strings' to a puppet, you can control it. This can range from all ten fingers on one puppet to ten fingers hosting ten puppets."

"Can you control more, Granny Chiyo?" asked the bright eyed Sasori. Chiyo didn't even pause on the question as she shook her head in dismay. "Oh…"

She hesitated. "But maybe one day you'll be able to." Sasori's chest swelled and he eagerly nodded, waiting for the lesson to continue. "So, before you even think about the puppet, you must concentrate on your own chakra." Sasori turned red; he'd not thought of that before. "Now, there are only two ways to learn this Jutsu. The first is to be taught at a young age, as I am doing with you right now. Usually your father would be the one to teach you, but…" She cringed and Sasori felt that sharp indescribable feeling in his chest again. "Well, I was always the better Puppet Master anyway, so it's probably for the best. Now, around this point in your life, your chakra is not developed enough to already possess traits and characteristics."

"…Traits?" He frowned at the woman.

"Many underestimate chakra," she went on to say, "but it actually takes on the nature of its owner. Let me give an example…Walking. Everyone is taught to walk at a young age, but over time they gain their own personal stride that can be identified from even a long way away. Chakra is the same; almost everybody starts off with the same chakra, with a few rare exceptions…"

"…But you're gonna help my chakra be different?" he asked. Sasori struggled to understand what she was talking about, but he didn't want her to know he was oblivious. Chiyo nodded. "What was the other way, Granny?"

"Well, there is supposedly a secret scroll written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the original puppet master, which can grant anyone who reads it the Puppet Master Technique. But it's just an old legend." She shrugged. "Now, to control this bird, first you must guide your chakra from your heart to your hands." Sasori nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on his chest.

The redhead could feel the swirling in his heart, and he concentrated on trying to move the energy. He succeeded but with sluggish results. He forced it to his shoulders, through his arms, to his hands, and then managed to squeeze it into his fingertips. Without further instruction, he aimed the energy at the bird. Chakra strings attached for a few seconds, but then the bird snapped in two.

Sasori stared at it for a small while, until tears welled up in the five-year-old's eyes. Without further warning, the redhead cried in frustration and grief.

Chiyo tried to comfort her grandson by patting him on his back. "There there, Sweetie, you'll get the hang of it soon enough." The tears stopped falling, but he was still miserable. His brown eyes were now puffy and swollen as he unhappily sniffled. "The Puppet Master Jutsu is a balancing act. Too much chakra and your creations will fall to bits, but not enough and they'll collapse on their feet." Sasori sniffled again as his Granny stood up. "Well, I'll fix this, but in the meantime, you need to get to the academy." His eyes lingered on the broken puppet, but he had to look away. Sasori refused to cry again.

-x-

The redhead sat on a wooden swing that hung from a withered old tree. He swayed back and forth, all alone. He couldn't stop thinking about the broken bird and his own shortcomings. Other children were running around, kicking a ball and laughing, but the redhead couldn't join their fun. He was waiting for- "SASORI!" The child's head snapped up to search for the voice's owner and a small smile formed as his one and only friend came running towards him.

The girl's boyish hair whipped as she ran, the blonde locks fluttering quicker than the swing. She was the same age as the redhead, but their levels of maturity were vastly different. Even so, what the girl lacked in intelligence she made up for in ability, endurance, persistence, and an almost annoying loyalty. She wore a lavender robe and a yellow scarf around her neck, despite the heat of their home. Just as the girl neared, she tripped on the hem of her clothes and slammed face first into the sand.

Sasori couldn't help but snort at the sight of her spitting up sand, but he hopped off the swing to help his best friend. "You're silly, Karura."

-x-

Sasori sat in class, quiet and calculating. His mind was fixated on the wooden bird dilemma. Earlier he had used too much chakra, so maybe he should try using half that amount when he next tried the technique… Katashi Sensei continued to drone on about the Second Shinobi World War, which Sasori's parents were currently fighting in. As soon as the man turned his back, Karura leaned close to Sasori and whispered, "Have you heard anything?"

He shook his head in dismay. The girl nodded in understanding, her expression now sombre. "But I know they'll be home soon," Sasori reassured while keeping his voice as low as possible.

"SASORI AND KARURA!" Both children jumped and quickly faced their Sensei. "STAY BEHIND AFTER SCHOOL!" Sasori and Karura gulped in fear, already knowing the punishment that awaited them.

-x-

They walked home together, faces screwed up in pain. For their violation of rule number three, 'Do not speak unless the teacher is speaking to you', their palms had been whipped three times each with a long cane. It stung, but thankfully wouldn't scar. "Sorry, Sasori," Karura murmured, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble…"

"It's okay," Sasori said while trying to take his mind from the ache. "Are your parents back?"

Karura brightened up instantly. "Mother's pregnant, so she's coming home!" She laughed with joy but then paused. "Oh," she said, "sorry…It wasn't right for me to get excited when your mother…"

"It's okay," he said again, as if trying to convince himself. "They'll be home soon." They reached the redhead's house and stopped to say goodbye. "See you, Karura." The friends bowed to each other before going their separate ways.

"Sweetie," Chiyo sounded suspiciously as he entered the kitchen, "why are you so late?" Sasori silently showed the woman his hands, each palm baring three angry marks. "…You spoke in class?"

"Karura asked about Mother and Father… It wasn't my fault…"

She looked torn. "Sasori, a Puppet Master's hands are important. Do not risk anything that could injure them." Sasori nodded apologetically and Chiyo sighed, "Come on then, you have a Puppet Master Jutsu to learn."

-x-

Sasori had his eyes closed as he concentrated on moving the chakra from his heart to his hands, letting half of what he had gathered swim into his fingers. Carefully he let the strings extend and attach to the bird, and when he twitched his fingers he heard a click. The dove-puppet had shuddered… The redhead repeated the action, earning another jerk of joints, and his eyes lit up. "Granny, I did it!"

The woman smiled at her grandson, "Good job, Sweetie. Now, make it fly." The redhead moved his index fingers up and down and the bird copied the action with its wings, gradually flapping harder. Much to Sasori's amazement, it soon started to hover. He beamed and made the bird fly in circles just as Chiyo had demonstrated, and much to his amusement, it did as the five-year-old commanded.

In his mind, Sasori was finally flying.

-W-

Dear Readers,

Okay, so I doubt anyone was expecting this…ah…surprise? Let's have a bit of background context since I'm sure some of you are first-time readers. Back in 2011, I spent nine months writing Sasori Akasuna's life story. I started on April 1st, finished December 21st and posted it on Christmas day 2011. I'm going to warn all the first-time readers now, this isn't a short story. This is a story that originally totalled 256,926 words and 71 chapters, and there's no telling how much is going to get cut or added in this new re-written version.

So, why re-write it at all? Well, it has been about seven years since I uploaded _As White as Blood_ and to this day I still get amazing reviews and heartfelt comments for it, which is nice, but I know now I could do the story better. I was in highschool when I first wrote it, so the grammar isn't very polished, but now I'm technically an English teacher, so…I'm slightly better.

Forewarning, unlike the original, I'm not going to be posting chapters every day. I wrote/edited the original story completely before I started posting it, while this time I'm just editing as I go. I try to edit very thoroughly, so sometimes editing a chapter might take just as long as writing one.

Those who are fans of the original, you don't have to worry. I'm not going to take down the original, and I'm (probably) not going to change things too dramatically unless there are any glaring issues. I suppose this is also an attempt to fix some of my canon since the anime FU-… _messed_ parts of it up, but I'm probably just gonna pick and choose what to add and what to ignore since even the animator's gave up at some points. In either case, I look forward to introducing Komushi, loving Komushi, taking Komushi on a date, and then brutally murderising Komushi as well. Seriously, all the sources that say he was Sasori's FRIEND don't know Sasori at all. Also, as beautiful as the added scenes in the video games are, I'm not accepting them as canon.

Similar to this, at the end of each chapter I might add a few points, maybe some facts about the original writing process, reasons behind any changes, interesting titbits about the story, etc. Don't feel obliged to read them; I'll keep them as spoiler free as possible nevertheless.

So, if you're an old reader, get ready for some nostalgia! If you're a first-time reader, buckle up cause this story is one hell of a trip…And does eventually have SasoDei…

Eventually…

I swear…

Well, enjoy and Merry Christmas 2018 (even though I posted on Australian Christmas Eve)!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	2. Counterfeit Parents

**As White as Blood Remastered**

 **Chapter Two**

 **Counterfeit Parents**

Sasori tried to get some sleep. It was late, and he was home alone, but he was still so excited to have finally flown. The redhead rolled over, intent on falling asleep, but he was disturbed by the sound of his door creaking.

"Huh?" He opened his eyes and sat up in bed, curious. Was it his parents? It must have been! Sasori stood and rushed to the doorway, intent on seeing his Mother and Father as soon as possible. He opened the door and smiled widely when he saw it was his grandmother. "Granny Chiyo!" Sasori took a step forward, ever hopeful. "Are they here? Have Mother and Father returned?" He waited eagerly for good news, but he wasn't graced with any. Chiyo simply stared at him with a solemn expression. Sasori's smile fell. "…They're not home yet?"

"Well…No dear, they're not…" Her voice shook, but Sasori didn't notice. "You see…Your parents were sent on another very important mission and they won't be home for quite some time…" Sasori sighed as his hope was crushed. "But," she continued, "I just heard from them. They want you to stay with me until they return." She leaned down and ruffled his hair. "Well Sasori? Is that okay with you?"

Sasori looked at his feet and murmured, "…I guess…"

"It's alright, Sweetie. Now back to bed; a growing boy needs his sleep." Sasori nodded and Chiyo straightened up, letting go of his hair. The five-year-old turned and traipsed back to his empty bed. Chiyo watched him as he went, hiding her secret beneath a carefully composed appearance. "…Don't forget that, no matter what, your parents and I will always love you."

"Thank you, Granny…"

-x-

"Another mission?" repeated Karura after hearing his sad news. Sasori silently nodded. "…Oh…That's okay. They'll be home soon!" Karura smacked his back reassuringly. "We'll train! They'll be happy to see how strong you'll be!"

"Okay," he agreed and put on a brave face. "Let's go." With that said, they ran towards their secret training ground. It was a rocky outcrop located far from the village. Karura's family had been journeying through the desert one day and had hid there during an unexpected sandstorm. She'd fallen in love with the small alcove and as soon as she was home she had taken her best friend to visit it. In reality it wasn't much, just a small cave carved into a large cliff face, but it was _their_ secret training ground and that made it special.

They ran with chakra gathered in the soles of their feet, which increased their speed and made it easier to run atop the sand. It had been the first technique they'd been taught at the Academy and, although they had not perfected the art just yet, they were the best in their young class. They practised it often.

Karura was faster than Sasori but he had better endurance, so their paces typically evened out. Their heavy traditional garments had been replaced with suitable training gear. Sasori wore durable black shorts and a white shirt with a circle on it. Half of this was yellow, the other half maroon, and it was encircled by a simple blood red outline. Karura wore a lavender top, black shorts, and her trademark yellow scarf, despite the heat. They ran through the scorching desert with the sun at their backs and the wind in their baby hair.

-x-

Their kunai knives scraped against the cliff face as the children carved their rudimentary pictures. Sasori listened contently to the noise of the blades against the rocks and the sound of the desert behind them. He couldn't help but smile. "What're you doing?" he asked without needing to expand on the question.

"My soon-to-be-brother," she explained without stopping. Her carving was of a poorly drawn baby, curled up in a tight ball. Stars floated about the infant, as if drawn towards its innocence; in Sasori's opinion, it was a pretty good picture for a five-year-old. "He'll be born soon. Mummy can't walk good, but she says she's okay."

"She'll get better." The redhead stepped back to survey his own crude picture; it depicted a bird flying high in the rock-spread sky. "…I want a brother," he admitted, "and you'll have two…" Sasori was of course referring to Karura's twin brother, Yashamaru; she had been born three minutes earlier, so she was always dubbed the eldest. The younger blonde was the smarter of the two, but Karura always ended up with better marks in class due to the focus on practical skills. Yashamaru always kept his distance from Sasori.

Karura stepped away from her picture and compared it to Sasori's. "I hope Mummy doesn't love the baby more than me…" The redhead had no way of reassuring her. In fact, he wanted her to _stop_ talking about such things, but he had no way of finding the words. Instead, the children bounded away from the cliff face. "Ready!"

They each drew four more kunai knives from their leg pouches and readied their stances. First throw: Sasori managed to hit the bird's wing, but Karura hit the baby's left foot. One point each. Both threw the rest of their weapons at their creations, aiming to hit them as target practise. Four of Sasori's kunai landed within the thick outlines, while one lay not too far off. Only two of Karura's had hit her future brother, although one had managed to bury itself in one of the surrounding stars, counting as a hit.

Again, while she had the speed, Sasori had the precision. "Four to three: I win," he happily declared and Karura stuck her tongue out. That was when he felt it. "Wait…"

Karura caught onto the same sensation only moments after he'd first noticed it. They both stared into the distance. Over the horizon, an ominous dark cloud was looming, headed straight for them. "Hurry!" They quickly dashed inside the cave to avoid the approaching sandstorm. It would be impossible to out run the disaster, even if they ran all the way back to the village, so laying low and waiting it out was their only option.

They now had roughly three to four hours of waiting ahead of them. Sasori cringed at the prospect but decided it wouldn't be so bad with his best friend for company. They moved to the very back of the cave and sat down. The place was lit only faintly by the scorching sun and even that wouldn't last for much longer. Neither child had learnt any Jutsu yet, so they were forced to sit in the gloom until their eyes adjusted.

They were both calm. It wasn't the first time they'd been caught in a sandstorm while training, and they knew it wouldn't be the last. "Hey, Saso…" The redhead made a sound of acknowledgement. "You heard of Nimble-Still-Creep?"

"No," he lied. It would give them something to talk about.

"It's a story about a girl who marries a Kage!" She sounded excited as she spoke. He let her fill the void with the story.

The story of Nimble-Still-Creep was a fairy-tale about a woman who _wanted_ to marry the Kage of her village. She wasn't a Shinobi or anything special, but he father claimed she could turn her chakra into solid gold. When their Kage heard the rumour, he thought she could save the poor village from starvation. He kidnapped her and locked her in a dark dungeon, where she was ordered to fill the room with gold by the time morning came. Of course, she couldn't, but late in the night a small man wearing an ANBU Black Ops mask appeared.

He claimed that, in exchange for her beloved silver bracelet, the man would fill the room with gold. She gave it to him without hesitation and the deal was struck. By morning, the room was piled high with wealth. The village would never go hungry again! Even so, the Kage told the woman if she could do it just one more time, then he would make her his wife. She accepted without hesitation.

That night the ANBU appeared again, but she had nothing more to give him. However, the ANBU said he would do it if she gave him her first-born son. The deal was struck, the gold was spun, and the very next day she was happily married to the Kage. Alas, exactly one year later, she gave birth to a beautiful son.

The ANBU appeared and ordered her to hand the baby over, as she had promised, but she refused and burst into tears. The ANBU took pity on the woman and offered her one chance at salvation: if she could guess his name correctly then she could keep her son.

He gave her one day to think it over, and he arrived the next night to hear his name.

 _Nimble-Still-Creep_ , the woman had answered with a wide grin. Unbeknownst to the ANBU, she had found him in the book of wanted villains known as the BINGO book and learnt his name! In a fit of rage, the ANBU tore himself in half and disappeared in a burst of hellfire. The woman kept her son and lived happily ever after.

Sasori scowled into the darkness. "No. Why was he in the BINGO book? That's not how it _really_ ends. Nimble-Still-Creep takes her baby and kills her."

Karura pursed her lips, "You said you'd never heard it before."

"'Never make a promise you cannot keep,'" he quoted his Granny's version, "'or I will take your son for I am Nimble-Still-Creep.' Granny said it needs a 'moral', _not_ a happy ending."

She gave up on the argument. As stubborn as Karura was, there was no arguing if it was something _Chiyo_ had told Sasori. They sat in awkward silence. Inevitably, however, Karura spoke up again, "Hey Saso…Tell me about the war."

"Why?" he accused with mild irritation, still bitter. She simply shrugged. Karura was just as knowledgeable on the war as he was. Even so, he soon obliged. "Sunagakure's in the war, like our parents…Granny Chiyo works too by making puppets and poison. Even though she's home, she's _super_ busy all the time, so I'm not allowed to bother her." He continued, "Second is Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. They have the Third Hokage." He paused. Sasori was simply regurgitating everything he'd been told in class a million times to a girl who'd heard it a million times as well.

She giggled teasingly and said, "Come on, Sasori! You're as boring as Katashi Sensei! Draw the symbols for me! I keep mixing 'em up." Sasori picked up a discarded kunai knife. They could hear the wind and the sand whipping brutishly outside, but the storm couldn't reach them in their haven.

He continued. "First is Suna," Sasori carved a sloppy gourd on the wall. "See? We have the Third Kazekage. He's a scary, with spiky hair and eyeliner!" Karura giggled at the description of the man they seldom saw. "Next is Konoha." He carved an even sloppier leaf symbol into the rock and finalised it with a slash. "They're super bad. Then Ame," Sasori dug four precise, vertical, lines in the wall, "with some old Salamander guy." Karura laughed again as Sasori broke the four lines apart with a fifth horizontal stroke. "They're bad too. Last," the five-year-old carved two rocks into the wall, "is Iwa, but we're always fighting them, so no one cares." He gashed the symbol in half with yet another deadly stroke. "We don't see them fight here though. They all fight in Ame cause it's in the middle."

"Well…" Karura probed with a firm frown, "Who started it? Who took Daddy from me?"

"…Konoha; they started this stupid war." Sasori felt a bubble of anger build inside him. He didn't try to quash _this_ feeling; hating the other villages was more than acceptable. To summarise the lesson, Sasori pointed to the sloppy Sunagakure symbol, "Good…" He then pointed at the three symbols of Konoha, Amegakure and Iwagakure and firmly declared: "Bad."

-x-

Sasori sat on his bed, all alone _again_. He looked out the circular window just in time to see the family of three from several days ago. The parents still clutched their child's hand with a closeness the redhead secretly craved. He watched quietly, wondering when his own parents would come home. Chiyo had moved everything of his into her large quiet house. Why was she preparing for such a long stay? Surely his parents wouldn't be _too_ long. Surely they knew their son, their lonely son, was waiting for them…?

Unless they weren't coming home.

No. That was simply impossible…Right?

-x-

Sasori was in the Creation Room, surrounded by unfinished puppets. A small rat darted across the floor, but the redhead was too absorbed in his work to notice it. He carefully picked up the arm of his future puppet and hammered the joint with a small wooden mallet. Sasori had never made a puppet before, and his only experience was in watching Chiyo put together the small wooden dove. Now he was building puppets of people, but Granny's workroom was stocked with plenty of books and diagrams to help and she had so many spare body parts for him to use. It was like putting together a familiar puzzle.

-x-

The diligent five-year-old had managed to drag the puppets to his bedroom. They were hollow on the inside, so were far lighter than an actual person, but still heavy enough that Sasori had to move them one-at-a-time. It was late by the time he finished.

Chiyo had gone to the hospital to help with Karura's mother's birth. She had told Sasori it wasn't anything to worry about, but he knew there must've been complications if Chiyo was willing to drop everything to help. Chiyo was one of the best medical-nin in the village, so it was no surprise she had been requested. In any case, Sasori was alone…or at least he _had_ been alone.

Sasori carefully dragged the first puppet into his bed and then hauled the other puppet up to join it. He climbed under the covers, carefully inserting himself between his two creations. He sensibly closed the eyes of his puppets, replicating a sleeping façade on each of them, and then brought his hand up to gently stroke the female doll's false hair. It was cold beneath his fingers, but it was also soft and comforting.

He fell asleep almost instantly between the imperfect puppets of his beloved Mother and Father. Finally, his parents were home.

-x-

Sasori stood smiling, the happiest he had ever been. He was playing with his parents, making them walk around the room, testing out his newfound ability. It was more difficult to control two large puppets than it had been to play with the small bird, but Sasori could manage basic movement at least. He carefully turned the puppets to face him and they slowly stumbled towards their human son, bringing him into an artificial hug.

A pleasant emotion coursed through his body. They were here. He was needed. He was loved. The knowledge swum about in his veins, made him feel whole, but ultimately ruined his concentration.

His chakra strings snapped at the seams. Sasori gasped loudly and his eyes shot open as the two beloved puppets, the ones he had so lovingly created, fell to the floor. The clamour was akin to an explosion.

He was left standing alone. His counterfeit parents lay on the floor with their broken jaws hanging silently open. Sasori stared at his ruined toys.

It was a lie. They _weren't_ here. Would _never_ be here. Sasori was _not_ needed. Sasori was _not_ loved.

"Sasori?" His grandmother stood in the doorway, her expression petrified.

His parents were dead, and she had known all along. He knew it. She knew it.

Anger coursed through him. Everything in his mind told him it was wrong to be angry at her, that he had no right to get upset. The war was important. The war was important. The war was _important._

And Sasori was not.

* * *

Dear Reader,

Okay, THIS chapter was changed quite substantially from the original. Originally the chapter continued. Sasori and Chiyo had a conversation about his puppets, learnt how to make scrolls to seal them in and then it time skipped to when he's eight to introduce his Genin team. I thought it best to completely cut the scroll-scene as it was pretty much what we'd already sat through in the first chapter, and I've moved the Genin introduction to the third chapter (meaning I had to change the title of this chapter too…awkies). Sasori gets the end this scene on a silent scream. I felt this was better for Chiyo's mentality – it's clear that this moment haunts her greatly, so I thought it best she didn't get any closure on it.

I also introduced the story of Nimble-Still-Creep much earlier than the original. It plays an important role in a few chapters time, but I thought it best to explain it much earlier than I had. I won't go into more detail about it though, so let's just say it is HEAVY foreshadowing for both Karura and another character we'll soon meet.

Karura is also one of my favourite characters in this story. I found Sasori works best when he can bounce off a contrasting personality, even if they seem very similar at this stage. This is the main reason I chose Karura to focus on as opposed to Yashamaru, as Sasori and Yashamaru are a little too similar. If it has been a long time since you saw Naruto, you might not recognise the name, but Karura is actually Gaara's mother. It took a LOT of math and Yashamaru's canonical age at the time of his death and the age of her children, but I managed to calculate her age and the events, so it is accurate to the show.

Just for the record, whenever a character from the show/manga appears, I've done very careful calculations to make sure their age canonically fits! Seriously, the research for this story killed me.

A lot of Sasori's childhood intentionally mirrors Gaara's, but with a few key differences: Gaara was born a monster and was shunned while Sasori _became_ a monster and shunned others, and Sasori got to grow up with Karura while Gaara never got that opportunity. The scene in chapter one with the swing is the best example. Gaara and Naruto both have their version of this scene. However, there is nothing stopping Sasori from playing with the other kids except his own depression, while Karura's introduction helps signify how this story is going to be different to Naruto and Gaara's. So yeah, sorry for being a nerd!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	3. Team Three goes to Mother Island

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Team Thee goes to Mother Island**

 **Seven Years Old**

"Congratulations." Karura, Sasori and another student stood in front of the Jonin, Misaki Satomi, their heads held high.

She was a highly skilled Shinobi of Sunagakure. She had allegedly fought in the war for a long time and had only recently returned to become a team leader. Her hair was short and brown, perfectly suited to the hot weather of the desert, and attached to the back of her official flak jacket was a long staff. The pole ended on one side with an extremely sharp blade and the other end had three gold bangles punctured into the wood.

"You three have the highest total scores in your class, so it is with great honour I give you each the title of Genin. I, Misaki Satomi, shall be your Sensei and team leader from now on." She smiled at the new Shinobi, the heat beating down on their sun-kissed faces. "Please state your names."

"Sasori Yoshiko." The red head was the second tallest of the trio. He wore black pants, a fishnet shirt, and a brown sleeveless vest. Sasori also sported two large scrolls on his back, both containing several hand-crafted puppets.

His face was coated with the official paint of the Puppet Brigade. Five red diagonal lines ran down each side of his face, starting from the red head's eyes and finishing at his jaw line. In a darker paint were five dots: one on his right cheek, one on the left, and three between his brows. The face paint represented puppet strings and the hand that manipulated them. On his forehead, Sasori wore his brand-new headband, which bore the symbol of his home on a metal slab.

"Karura Kumiko." The sole female of the three was the tallest. She wore white shorts, a sleeveless lavender top, a fishnet shirt, long heelless boots and her typical yellow scarf. Her blonde hair was still short, and her teal eyes still shone with unforgettable enthusiasm. She was equipped with a large sleek fan, which her mother had given her only a few days ago. It was Karura's weapon of choice and Sasori had yet to see its full potential unleashed. She wore her Sunagakure headband on her belt.

"Daichi Naokyo." The last Genin was the shortest and appeared rather sickly. Dark rings looped his eyes and his skin practically clung to his skull. The male had an exceedingly thin jaw line and his cheek bones were far too sharp; his hair was bleached white and mostly tied up in thick bandages. Daichi's clothes were hidden beneath a black cloak patterned heavily with small white stars.

The albino wore his headband around his neck, and in the middle of his forehead was a star tattoo. Sasori recognised the star as belonging to the Hoshi Clan, which was odd considering the clan had been extinct for half a century. What really set him apart, however, were his eyes. Half of each pupil was gone, replaced with two parallel lines. Sasori guessed the boy had some type of Dojutsu: a Kekkei Genkai that mutated his eyes. Daichi had been a part of their class for the past two years but, aside from his appearance, he had failed to stand out in Sasori's mind. The red head hadn't even realised his scores were so high.

"Congratulations! Together, we are now Team Three," Misaki loudly declared. "You are to address me as Sensei or Misaki Sensei. Now first up, to your right is a table of weaponry." Sasori and Daichi nodded, but Karura made the effort to turn her head. "You may each choose a weapon from the table."

"Misaki Sensei," Karura started cautiously, "can I fight with my fan?" The woman instantly nodded, and the blonde girl smiled brightly.

Sasori and Daichi moved to the table and each examined the weaponry with critical eyes. The red head, as he gazed about the tools, wondered which would suit his puppets best. The albino picked up a fierce mace, examined it briefly, but then placed it back down and stepped away without choosing anything.

Sasori's eyes were caught by the sight of something gleaming in the sun. He picked up the tiny objects, his eyebrows raised: senbon needles. Sasori remembered watching Chiyo once use one to test a poison on a rat. The helpless creature had barely felt the needle as it had entered it, although the poison had killed it mere moments later. Sasori hummed and stepped away from the other weapons, more than satisfied with his selection.

He looked over his team as he walked away from the table and he felt great pride in himself for his grand achievement. Not only was Sasori a Genin at the young age of seven, but he was now an official Shinobi of Team Three.

-x-

It was their very first mission. Of course, it was just a D-rank, but a firm excitement still buzzed between the three inexperienced Genin at the mere prospect. Or at least it _had_ until they found out what the mission _actually_ was. They had to find a lost dog in one of the nearby villages.

Job Type: Lost Pet

Rank: D-Rank

Location: Osamu-Nori

Client Name: Hiruko Yuuta

Description: Find pet dog and bring back alive.

Other: Brown fur. Black spots. White paws. Large. Vicious if provoked. Answers to 'Sky'.

Cost: 16,000 Ryo

Time expected: Less than one day

Assigned Team: Team Three

Led by: Misaki Satomi

It had taken them hours to reach the small village, but they didn't waste any time once they were there. "Here Sky!" Karura whistled. They'd split up to search, but Karura had insisted on staying with Sasori nevertheless. Karura was happy to call out the dog's name while Sasori scanned the area with his eyes.

The search was fruitless for the first few hours, but suddenly the two heard a loud bark from nearby. They fell silent as a giant monster dog appeared from between two quiet houses. It must've been twice the size of the young Genin and its mouth was dripping with saliva. All in all, it matched the description to a T and Sasori quickly sent Misaki and Daichi a message via their wireless.

"There you are!" called Karura. "Come here, boy!" The dog strode towards them, curious, and Karura bravely went to meet it. Suddenly, the beast leapt straight for her, its sharp fangs bared.

The dog was quick but Sasori was quicker.

There was a puff of smoke as the redhead summoned one of his puppets and, by the time the smoke cleared, the fight was over. Sky was on the ground, frantically struggling, but with no success. Wrapped around it was one of Sasori's favourite marionettes, which he had rightfully dubbed 'Cephalo'. It was a giant octopus - or rather a nonapus as it had nine arms as opposed to eight - which he'd crafted at the age of six. Instead of a beak it had a poisoned barb, which was currently lodged in the dog's side.

Sasori had been unable to concoct anything deadly yet, but this poison could completely paralyse even a large opponent. The dog shuddered as the poison took effect, but soon its motions stopped altogether. "Mission accomplished, let's get this _thing_ back to its owner already." Sasori had better things to do than find missing pets.

-x-

The group walked towards the owner's house with Sasori, Karura and Daichi leading the way while in-between them and their teacher stomped another of the red head's puppets. Its name was 'Turquoise', and it resembled a tortoise with a blue spherical shell. The headless capture marionette had three stumpy yet sturdy legs with claws to keep it from falling over. Its shell was covered with arching spikes to make people think twice about prying it open, but Karura annoyingly compared the design to a piece of spiky fruit.

The monster dog, Sky, lay hidden inside the puppet's protective shell, still paralysed and unmoving. Sasori thought about his Sensei, Misaki Satomi, on their journey towards the house.

If she were a decent Shinobi, she would have found the dog within minutes of arriving. Not only that; she should've sensed the dog's bloodlust, yet Sasori had been forced to save the day. It appeared that, even if the children were put in mortal danger, Misaki wouldn't bother trying to help them. Maybe if the mission were ranked higher than a D she would've helped, but he knew he couldn't bet on it in the future.

She wasn't really their leader: she was an observer.

"Here we are!" Misaki declared as they reached a simple house. A man sat on a large brown bench outside, appearing unaffected by the basking sunlight.

He noticed them and stood to politely greet the squad. "My," he said, "hello there, lads and ladies." The group of four stopped and Sasori couldn't help but stare at him in awe. He must've been four times the size of the redhead, which explained why he had such a large dog. His brow and the bridge of his nose were prominent, while his small eyes were sunken in. The man was mostly bald, except for five lines of black hair that defied gravity at their tips by pointing skyward.

The man grinned at them. His smile was creepy, menacing and charming all at once. He had no irises and his pupils were tiny. He was both intimidating and welcoming, and Sasori was intrigued by the existence of someone so contradicting.

"My name is Hiruko. I believe you have my dog?" He had a deep voice that suited him well, and the redhead nodded shyly, still awestruck by the man. He twitched both index fingers and the puppet split straight down the middle, allowing the limp dog to collapse to the ground. The two parts rolled away from the creature and instantly re-joined, returning the puppet to its tripedal state. There was a puff of smoke as it disappeared back into Sasori's scroll. "My, that was an interesting puppet!" complimented the rough man. "Did you make it all by yourself?" The redhead nodded cautiously, although a burst of pride warmed his chest.

"Your dog's paralysed," Sasori explained. "It attacked my friend. The poison should last a few more minutes." Sasori was surprised when the man brought his hand down to ruffle the redhead's hair, gently tussling the soft locks. Sasori's face grew warm.

"My, you're just a little tyke. All three of you are, aren't you? My, I didn't become a Genin 'til I was 'bout ten years old!" He bellowed out a laugh, but there was a twinge of something bitter in the sound. "Thanks for finding Sky for me; he keeps running off and if he attacks another resident they reckon I'll have to put him down. He was bred and trained for the war, but I adopted him before he ever saw the field. Guess I gotta train him some more. He's my best bud and I'd hate to see him go…"

"It's a monster," stated Daichi out of the blue. Aside from him giving his name, this was the first thing Sasori had ever heard him say and it genuinely took him aback. His voice was croaky but pleasant. "It should die." Sasori felt like hitting his comrade; how dare he speak in such a way to his elder! Even so, Hiruko didn't appear offended as he snickered and brushed the comment aside.

He hauled the unconscious dog onto his wide shoulders. "He may not be the most rational pup out there, but he is a damn good boy. He's loyal and you don't trade loyalty for anything else in the world." The man offered another wide grin and finally asked, "So what're your names?"

The young girl eagerly spoke for the group, "I'm Karura! That's Misaki Satomi Sensei, Daichi and this is Sasori! He's my best friend, so that means I'm cool too!"

Hiruko laughed. "My, it's nice to meet you Karura, Daichi, Sasori and Ms. Satomi." The man looked at them individually but settled his gaze on the redhead. "Keep up the puppet-work, tyke. Here ya go: 16,000 ryo for the mission." He handed it to Sasori and once again ruffled his crimson fringe affectionately. "My, I do hope I see you again."

-x-

Sasori sat in the Creation Room, entranced in his work as he built himself a brand-new puppet. He'd already named it 'Spit', short for 'Spin-Top', and it was designed to slice his opponents to shreds with speed and extended blades. Of course he didn't think too hard on this; puppets were always designed to be deadly, even if he couldn't imagine ever killing someone with one.

Its base resembled an enormous screw, but Sasori was hard at work on carving its head. Scraping out each eye socket was a tedious task, as he already had the glass eyeballs made. One slip and he'd have to make entirely new eyes for the puppet. He heard scurrying behind him. His only thought was the desire for silence as he concentrated. He felt his arm move almost subconsciously as he grabbed an unused senbon needle and tossed it, intending to simply scare off the disturbance.

There was a squeak of agony and, much to Sasori's chagrin, the scurrying grew to a frantic pace. He turned at last but was instantly met with an unpleasant sight. He had accidentally impaled the rat with the needle. Sasori gasped and stumbled off the chair, hurrying over to the poor little rodent. He picked it up, cradling the pained creature in his soft hands. "Sorry I…I didn't mean to…"

Sasori carefully removed the senbon from the rat's side, but he knew the poor thing would soon die; the needle had burst the unfortunate creature's lung. He didn't know any way to heal it. Chiyo could've saved it easily! She was only a few rooms over, but she was in the middle of her work. He couldn't interrupt her. The war was important. Just like Sasori, this rat wasn't.

Swallowing the bitterness of the thought, Sasori carried the dying creature to the table and placed it down gently. Right, Sasori was a Shinobi. He had to be like his Granny as well. This rat _wasn't_ important to him either.

He picked up his scalpel and held it over the defenceless creature. With one hard downward motion, the rat released a wretched squeak and went limp.

Sasori's hands were shaking. He pulled the blade from the warm flesh and his eyes widened as red liquid dripped from the blade. Sasori was still. His face went white, but now he looked at the rat with a new fascination. His anguish from earlier was forgotten as he carefully sat down and pulled the dead thing closer.

He pressed the scalpel against the thing's throat and artfully sliced from neck to tail. The small blade was placed to the side as his hands took hold of severed skin. It came away more easily than expected. He pulled the skin apart like stage curtains to reveal the thing's innards.

A wave of nausea hit him. It smelt horrible and he knew this felt _wrong_ , but the queasiness soon vanished, leaving a sickening thrill in its stead. The redhead was surprised by how similar the insides were to the diagrams in Chiyo's books. He'd always thought the sight would be…different.

He poked inside the small body, squeezing and tugging the delicate entrails with sick fascination. Everything was still so warm and wet against his skin. Warm, wet and nice. In one swift motion, he wrenched the innards from the body. He was shaking again, but now the reason was different.

Reality returned far too suddenly. His eyes widened as he snapped back into his right mind and realised what the hell he was doing. He dropped the dead rat and dashed for the bathroom. He was going to be sick.

-x-

 _Eight Years Old_

"Good news, gang!" called out Misaki Sensei. "I've managed to get us a C-Rank mission! It took a lot of convincing, but we got it, so you can all bow down and show me your appreciation!"

"What's the mission?" quietly asked Daichi in his gentle voice. In response, Misaki read out the notice she'd been given.

 _Job Type: Escort_

 _Rank: C-Rank_

 _Location: Sunagakure, Rha Port and Mother Island_

 _Client Name: Arata Kaoru_

 _Description: Guide and protect client. Take to Mother Island in Sea Country._

 _Other: Will need to attain a boat. No anticipated combat, but possibility of encountering pirates._

 _Cost: 55,000 Ryo_

 _Time expected: Seven and a half days from Suna to Mother Island (1.5 days via land to Rha Port. Six days on boat to Mother Island). Doesn't include time taken to return._

 _Assigned Team: Team Three_

 _Led by: Misaki Satomi_

"The mission starts tomorrow, so prepare tonight. We head out at dawn." They all agreed, and she dismissed them with her usual perky grin.

-x-

Sasori waited outside his best friend's house, impatiently tapping his foot on the icy sand. That was the thing about living in a desert: sweltering days and sub-zero nights. The extreme changes were beginning to get on the redhead's nerves for some reason, even though he was only just starting to believe not everywhere was a desert. Maybe the mission was making him uneasy. It would be his first time leaving the Land of Wind, even if only temporarily.

"Hey Saso!" He turned to see Karura exit the house with her twin brother in tow. "Yashamaru's seeing us off!" The male twin looked him over cautiously, but slowly offered his hand.

Sasori did the same, pressing palms together and clasping his fingers. Yashamaru blinked his eyes warily, his orbs almost identical to those of Karura. "Good luck," he murmured quietly. "Look after my sister." There was a hint of a threat behind those last four words, but the redhead just nodded indifferently.

Yashamaru looked _exactly_ like his twin sister; short blond hair, same body type, and still rather effeminate in appearance. The other brother Karura had been expecting two years ago had been stillborn. Yashamaru and Sasori instantly stepped away as their hands parted.

The blond brought his sister into a farewell embrace before he headed back inside, most likely returning to his mother. She'd been frail since the failed birth, and the news of Karura's father had reached only recently. Unfortunately, the war had claimed another parent. Karura's mother had grown despondent, Yashamaru had grown more protective, and Karura…hadn't changed at all…

Sasori looked to Karura, offering a lopsided smile. "He hates me."

"So?" she asked with a returned grin. "If you weren't such a smarty pants, he'd be a Team Three Genin right now!"

He pursed his lips. "Karura, _you_ got a lower score than me and Daichi. He'd have replaced _you_."

She shrugged and didn't even try to defend herself. "He likes hearing about you. I don't think he _really_ hates you! And even if Yasha did, you don't like him either! What's your excuse?"

"Excuse? I don't need a reason."

Karura stuck her tongue out at him. "Just wait, Sasori, cause he's gonna be better than both of us combined! He's gonna be a super Shinobi!" He scoffed and waved a hand in denial, ending that part of their banter. "So, who'd you bring?" asked Karura, swapping the topic.

The redhead was thoughtful as he listed his puppets on his fingers. "Cephalo, Turquoise, Tyke, and a new puppet called Spit, but it still needs work. I've got my tools too. I've got an idea for Turquoise I've been meaning to install for yonks…"

"Cool," she remarked, "what kind of upgrade?" He blatantly ignored the question, silently letting her know it was a secret. Daichi was already waiting for them outside his silent house. Sasori hoped he hadn't been waiting long. "Hi Dai!" The blonde smiled widely at the albino and Daichi straightened up, his face as stoic as ever.

"Hello Karura and Sasori," he said curtly. "Are you ready?" They bobbed their heads and set out, continuing their steady traipse through their homeland. The Sand Village was still sound asleep, and it wouldn't begin to wake until a few more hours had passed.

Misaki was already standing at the entrance of Sunagakure, waiting for her students to arrive, and she waved enthusiastically once she saw them. "The woman we're escorting should arrive in a few minutes; I take it you're all prepared?" The trio agreed in unison and their Sensei clapped her hands three times in excitement. "Oh, isn't this thrilling? Our first C-Rank mission as a team!"

"Are you the Shinobi I hired?" A skinny woman walked towards them, her pitch-black hair blending with the looming darkness. She wore a tight red dress that hugged her body, elegantly emphasizing every curve. The woman looked suave and high-class, until she sneered at the three short Genin. "Well, aren't you all such scrawny things?" She looked back at Misaki, "Where is your squad? They were supposed to be here by now."

"This _is_ my squad, Ms Kaoru," Misaki explained, although she seemed completely unaffected by the comment. "I assure you they're all highly trained." The woman didn't stop sneering at the children, but their squad leader never stopped smiling. "I am Misaki Satomi and these are Karura, Sasori and Daichi. We'll be escorting you to Mother Island."

"Hmph," the woman's face twitched in annoyance, "whatever; I guess it's better than forking out for a B-Ranked squad…Fine then, my cart is waiting outside the village…Well? Quit gawking and get moving!"

-x-

Squad Three had walked across the unchanging desert for over a day, while Arata hadn't left her caravan once since leaving Sunagakure. Her trailer was pulled by a giant lizard, which managed to keep pace with the Shinobi.

"Don't worry, Saso," Karura encouraged. "Just half a day and we'll be at the port. Then we can rest on the boat!"

"Yeah, and I can work on my puppets…" He looked into the distance thoughtfully as he swallowed a food-pill. His eyes yearned for their first glimpse of the thing known as the ocean. With water being so precious in the desert, just the thought of a giant undrinkable water source astounded him.

Karura cheered. "That's the spirit! A little walking never hurt anybody that much." She grinned, but he just handed her a food-pill in response. Karura swallowed it without hesitation and continued to fill the silence with her voice. "I once heard a saying…'Red night, Shinobi delight, red dawn, Shinobi mourn'. Yashamaru told me before I left, 'cause sailors have the same saying; a red dawn means a bad storm's coming."

"Okay," he said, "let's hope there aren't any red dawns."

-x-

The five sat at the port, waiting for their ship to board. Arata's caravan had already been loaded and she had taken the expanding tag off her lizard, returning the creature to its original size. The thing sat eerily on her shoulder, occasionally darting its tongue out to catch unwary insects that flew too close.

Sasori could do little more than stare at the ocean. Somehow, he'd expected it to be grander than it was. The ocean was exactly like the never-ending desert, except _blue_. Damn was it blue, but it was far from impressive. Still, he and his friends looked forward to boarding the boat. Perhaps he'd have a better appreciation for the ocean once he was surrounded by it.

None of them had been on a boat before; in fact, they'd never even left the Land of Wind until that day. The war was still raging so unless you were a soldier or a medic there wasn't much chance of going anywhere. The Land of Sea was neutral territory, however, so even the warring countries could peacefully travel and trade there, so long as no disputes arose.

"What's with that face paint, kid? It looks weird…"

Sasori was pulled away from his thoughts by the woman they were escorting. She was his senior, so he had to be polite. "I'm in the Puppet Brigade," he answered carefully. Arata's expression grew questioning as she silently ordered him to expand on the statement. "It's a group of Shinobi puppeteers, and this face paint proves I'm a member."

"So, you're a puppeteer, ay?" She looked him up and down, and then snorted. "I guess that makes sense. You don't look strong enough for Taijutsu, or smart enough for any other Jutsu." Sasori hid his annoyance from the woman, turning to glare at something else to occupy his time.

* * *

Dear Reader,

So, this is Team Three! Kishimoto has a trend with his main teams: compare Naruto's squad with Jiraiya's and Minato's. I like to think of Jiraiya's squad as the base (since I much prefer comparing Karura to Tsunade than to Sakura). The shift comes in the focus. As this is Sasori's story the focus is on Sasori, who is the Orochimaru equivalent of the group. Therefore, I needed a character who could be a Jiraiya/Naruto equivalent, thus Daichi was born.

At first, I planned more of a rivalry between them, but over time I made them into friends. I was sort of worried when I made his character. Due to the nature of this story, it was necessary to create quite a few original characters, but I was desperate to write this story as professionally as possible. I was terrified people would stop reading just because they thought a character was a Mary Sue, so I purposefully made Daichi ugly to prevent this. Even so, I don't feel the need to change it now. Daichi really grew on me during the writing process, and there is a story reason for his appearance.

I hope you're also enjoying Sasori's puppets. My process for creating them was admittedly simple: I just sat down, drew up a bunch of random designs and picked the ones I thought were best. Many didn't make it into the final story; from memory, some of the designs included a bear puppet, and a samurai puppet called Lion.

Hiruko should not look forward to seeing Sasori again!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	4. The Bracelets

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Four**

 **The Bracelets**

Sasori didn't want to wake up; the bed was so comfortable, and the swaying of the boat just made him drowsier. He pulled the sheets higher, intent on falling back to sleep, but no matter how hard he tried, sleep would not come.

After half an hour of tossing and turning he finally sat up and glanced around the cabin. Misaki Sensei had made him share a room with Daichi, but the albino had left to explore the ship already, leaving Sasori to his non-existent sleep.

So far, they'd spent two days on the boat, meaning a quarter of the trip was thankfully behind them…But then again, it would take another six days to return to the Land of Wind. It was a good thing that, unlike Karura, the red head hadn't experienced any sea sickness throughout the voyage. When he had last checked up on the girl she had been contemplating jumping overboard and swimming the rest of the way.

Sasori didn't feel like smelling the salty sea air or watching the icy blue waves, so he decided to work on Turquoise instead. The redhead unravelled his scrolls and activated the seals for them without a second thought. Some neatly sorted tools appeared from one and Turquoise was summoned from the other. He placed the scrolls down and, using chakra strings, opened the handcrafted puppet.

Sasori had been building an inner shell. It was supposed to remain balanced and to never even touch the outer shell, meaning no matter how much the puppet tossed or turned, the inner section would always remain unmoved. If Sasori could figure it out, then he'd be able to ride in the puppet whenever fast transportation was needed. It had been easy to redesign Turquoise's stumpy legs to fold in on themselves. Still, one issue remained: how could he see outside of Turquoise when he was locked inside?

If he was able to pull this off, then his collection would be closer to perfection.

 **-x-**

It was the fifth day of sailing and something wasn't right. Sasori stood on the deck, staring out at the swelling crystal ocean, and Karura - who had been over her seasickness for two days now - stood beside him. "Do you feel it?" she asked, her tone uncharacteristically mature. Sasori didn't say anything, just narrowed his eyes at the horizon, but she understood. "Think it's a storm?"

"I don't think so…but it definitely feels like danger is approaching..."

-x-

Pirates: not uncommon in the Land of Sea, but they typically avoided transport ships. The Shinobi had chosen this vessel with its weathered appearance in mind. Nevertheless, the pirates were boarding the lousy boat while the crew of the ship stayed behind the trained Shinobi. Arata had locked herself safely in her cabin.

The leader of the pirates grinned at the young Shinobi, revealing a golden tooth surrounded by rotten molars. "Aye, got any treasure or do we gotta beat it out o' ya?"

The eight-year-olds fell into a fighting stance, but the pirates merely cackled at them, amused by the sight of the children 'playing tough'. Misaki stood back and allowed the events to unfold.

"Suna must be real desperate if they've made a bunch o' kids like you inta Shinobi," he motioned to their Sunagakure headbands. "A bunch o' runts think they can stop us?"

Rage flared inside Sasori. How _dare_ they talk that way about his village! He saw red.

A puff of smoke consumed the air and Sasori's new puppet, Spit, appeared at its centre. His hands were moving before he could even think. The puppet spun like a hurricane and extended the deadly blades on its arms, head and legs. A wind-tag was attached to its foundation, ensuring the drill never once touched the deck as it flew forward.

The initial onslaught caught the vermin by surprise. Everyone on that ship helplessly watched as two pirates were instantly diced to pieces. A woman screamed as blood splashed across the wooden planks like sea water.

A strange otherworldliness coupled the sight. Even though Sasori controlled the puppet, he was distant from the act. It didn't feel _real. He_ hadn't just killed two people: his _puppet_ had.

The leader of the pirates recovered from the attack and drew his curved sword. His gang followed his example. They wouldn't underestimate the children again.

Karura recovered from the sight first and pulled the giant folding fan from her back. She flicked it partly open, revealing a single purple circle from within. "HYA!" As she waved the heavy fan with all her strength, a destructive gust of wind launched at the pirates, immediately sending five overboard. They screamed as they plummeted into the ocean but most managed to surface safely. Still, if Karura had been intending to spare them, her teammates would fix that.

Daichi's mutated pupils spun in circles as he activated his Kekkei Genkai. The tattoo on his forehead glowed with a pasty white light. "Armageddon Star!" An ominous cloud formed in the sky above them. Thunder boomed in their ears as a deadly twister emerged. Daichi gazed at the water and the tornado obeyed. It plunged into the ocean, where the heavy wind joined with the broiling water and formed a deadly vortex beside them. Those who had been knocked into the water were sucked in and tossed about, ultimately plunging to their deaths.

The ship rocked uneasily, but an unnatural wind in its sails kept the vessel from joining the fate of the pirates.

The leader and his two-remaining crew ran at the children in a desperate attempt to end the fight. Karura's face hardened as she waved her mighty fan again, this time shoving them to the side. They flew like ragdolls and landed in the clutches of Sasori's nonapus puppet, Cephalo. The puppet had only recently been upgraded to bear a poisoned barb at the end of each tentacle, now totalling ten deadly points. The nonapus wrapped its limbs around the vermin and injected all three with paralysis.

As soon as they stopped moving, the three Genin each drew a kunai and walked cautiously towards them. Daichi reached his first. His kunai immediately drove home in the pirate's neck, ending the life brutally but quickly.

Karura went second. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before she sunk her blade beneath his ribcage and directly into his heart. The pirate was dead in seconds.

Lastly was Sasori. He approached the pirate leader with the intent of going for the throat as well. Even though the man was paralysed, his eyes watched him intently without the ability to blink. Sasori was caught by them. He stared back at the man and looked to the kunai in his hand. There was no puppet here. There was no distance. This was an eight-year-old about to murder someone.

Why was he shaking? Why did he suddenly feel so ill? Nausea hit him and his mind started swimming. All Sasori could see were those eyes and all he could feel was the cold blade in his hand. Damn, he couldn't-

Sasori snapped back to reality as warmth cupped his hand. Karura and Daichi had placed their hands on his. They helped keep the blade steady. Their faces were grave as they led him towards the pirate's throat. He watched numbly as the blade sunk into his jugular and warm blood sprayed across their three small hands. The man stared at Sasori as the light drained from his yellowed eyes.

Sasori pulled the knife away and his friends finally released his hand. He didn't miss the touch. If anything, he was glad it was gone. His mind was warring with what he had done and Sasori couldn't move. With that human blood on his hands, his fate was sealed.

His friends set to work. Karura used her fan to wave the carnage from the deck, sending corpses flying into the waters below. The whirlpool vanished at last and the winds died down. Sasori came back to himself after most the work had already been done. He couldn't remember when he'd started kneeling, but his first thought was to methodically check on his puppets. He reached Cephalo first and ran a hand over its smooth skull, failing to notice the blood on his hands. It smeared across the wood. Sasori was instantly calmed by the puppet. His mind told him to go check on Spit, so he did just that.

The marionette had stopped spinning, but the wind-tag kept it afloat. Sasori looked it over with a critical eye and was suddenly struck by an idea. Everything else was forgotten. He returned the puppets to their scroll and turned on his heel. "Working on Turquoise."

Before anyone could say anything, the redhead had already disappeared below deck and locked himself in his cabin.

-x-

Sasori was busily putting the final touches on Turquoise. They would be landing today, but he was desperate to finish before reaching Mother Island. It had taken Sasori a long time to perfect the two Permanent Wind Release tags, but at last they were done.

The outer shell could still split in half, yet the inner shell would remain at its centre. The external layer could spin in any direction Sasori wished, capable of reaching impressive speed in various terrains. He'd added a few wooden supports to connect the two frames, but these could slide back or be unattached if necessary. With the paper tags, the centre containment unit would not only remain suspended in the middle but would remain upright as well.

For extra protection, the seam running through the inner core was horizontal, while the outer shell's seam was vertical. This fine line on the exterior was the sole weakness in the puppet's defence. Still, even if this did get hit by a weapon, it wouldn't hit the seam of the inner shell, leaving Sasori safe.

Still, he couldn't see outside if he were in. Sasori, without a better option, had drilled an eyehole into the inner shell, but this solution would only be temporary until he found something better.

-x-

Finally, the boat pulled into port. Sasori and his company were pleased to bid goodbye to the ceaseless swaying and to say hello to dry land. Mother Island, however, was alien to the three Genin. The ground was paved and the colour green was _everywhere_. The scent of freshly cut grass and flowers filled the air, but Sasori only recognised these smells from the times he'd visited the Sunagakure Green House for ingredients.

The trees were covered in leaves and gently waved in the wind, as if welcoming them from a distant land. Arata placed the paper-tag on her pet lizard, once again enhancing its size significantly. The creature hauled the woman's caravan along as they walked towards her future shop.

At last, Arata turned to the group with the same disgusted look as always. "Well, we're here," she murmured. "Thanks, I guess." She opened the caravan door and disappeared inside, returning a few seconds later. "Here's the money I owe you; 55,000 Ryo…And here, you kiddos can have these." Arata handed each eight-year-old a single silver bracelet and smiled strangely. "Just a small thanks for… _dealing_ with those pirates back there. You did good. Those three are part of a unique series. They're all one of a kind." Arata pointed at Daichi's silver bracelet first. "Yours is the scorpion, kid. It's a symbol of defence, calm and self-protection." She gestured to Karura's bracelet next. "Yours, girl, is the wolf. It's a symbol of loyalty, success and perseverance. And lastly," she pointed to Sasori Yoshiko's bracelet, "the dove represents love, innocence and gentleness…" Her eyes lingered on the bird longer than the others, but she soon turned her eyes to the horizon. "It is said that, no matter the turmoil or distance, these three bracelets are destined to always reunite. I've seen it happen before, and I know it'll happen again." Arata placed a clanging bag of ryo into Misaki's hand. "You've completed your mission. Have fun and remember what I told you, kiddos."

-x-

Sasori, Karura and Daichi had been intent on exploring the island by themselves. The villagers they'd come across were friendly, always waving and smiling at the youngsters. It was strange to think this island was benefiting from the war. Their exports of fish were in high demand and Sasori was surprised they hadn't encountered any enemy Shinobi yet, as the island should have been crowded with them.

They left the village and found themselves in a field of long, wavy grass, patterned with light pink flowers. Karura laughed and ran through the blossoms and Sasori relaxed. Daichi rolled his eyes, but he was miraculously smiling. He looked more like a child when he smiled, and Sasori found himself staring without even realising it.

Karura picked random flowers and made a homochromatic bouquet while Sasori sat down amongst the blossoms. He'd thrown himself into his work to get the pirate's last moments from his mind, so he was thankful to find some distraction here as well. The blonde hurried to Sasori's side and offered him the bouquet, sticking her tongue out. "We're playing wedding!" Karura declared without warning.

His face grew warm. "H-Huh? Moron, we're too old for that."

"Then get married for real," offered Daichi, unhelpfully.

Sasori's face grew hotter. "We're too _young_ for _that_! Go away." He picked up a handful of dirt and hurled it at his two friends. They dodged easily but took the challenge to heart. The flowers fell to the ground and the mud-fight began. Their laughter filled the air, as did a tonne of dirt, but their fun soon came to an abrupt end.

"Well, well, well…" repeated an unfamiliar voice.

The Genin tensed and spun around simultaneously, coming face-to-face with another trio. They were older than Sasori's team, probably thirteen years of age, and the apparent leader of the team wore a Chunin flak jacket. She had the longest blonde hair Sasori had ever seen and it caught him off-guard. Women kept their hair short or tied up in the desert to avoid the heat. However, this girl's hair easily reached halfway down her back and was free to curl in the gentle breeze.

Her eyes were icy blue, like the morning sky, and around her neck she wore a black Shinobi headband. The metal slab bore the outline of two rocks; Iwagakure. "Well, look what we have here! Some Suna-Rats playing in the dirt!"

Sasori's eye twitched as he felt the sudden animalistic compulsion to wring the girl's throat. He'd never actually met someone from one of the warring villages before, but he hated her instantly. She was pretty enough to look stupid, but there was a sharp, cunning look that thrived in those icy eyes.

His hate was too great, and he could manage no words in retaliation.

Karura was the first to speak, "This an Iwa-Ant nest, or you out on your nuptial flight, queenie?" She turned her gaze from the Chunin to Sasori. "She's jealous of our dirt!"

The two Iwagakure boys growled at the derogatory term 'Iwa-Ant', and stepped threateningly forward, but the Iwa girl shot them each a warning look. "Even Genin Rats like you should know Mother Island is neutral territory," she remarked. Her intense eyes landed on Sasori as she picked up a pink flower and twirled it oddly between her fingers. "If we fought, we would get kicked off this island, yeah."

"We know," Daichi said, shooting Karura and Sasori a look as well. "We're not causing trouble."

"Yeah," Karura relented. "We were having fun."

The female Ant waved a hand and sighed. "Fine then, we'll be on our way. Oh, but first…For you, cutie." She tossed the flower at Sasori, but he didn't try to catch the stupid thing. It fell at his feet. The Ant winked at him, "I dig redheads. See you, yeah." In a flash of speed, the three Iwa-Nin disappeared.

Sasori kicked the fallen flower but noticed a piece of paper wrapped around its stem. He bent down and retrieved it, glancing it over before his friends took notice. That conniving, bloodthirsty-

"You gonna actually keep that, Saso?" asked Karura, looking unsettled. "An _Ant_ touched it!"

Sasori crushed the flower in his fist before she could approach. He was prepared to accept the Chunin's summons. "No. I hate Ants."

-x-

Sasori stood in the middle of the field. The moon was high above him, but the stars were mostly covered by clouds. He was alone…or at least he _had_ been. "I thought you'd chicken out, yeah."

He turned to see the blonde Iwa Chunin walking towards him, and he hid his bubbling anger beneath a mask of boredom. "Why?" he evenly questioned. "You're an Iwa-Ant. You're as scary as…a flower."

"Yeah, but a flower can be _very_ scary. I really don't like the way you look at me, Rat, but I think we can settle whatever's bothering you. You see, I'm a part of Iwagakure's Explosion Corps. Oh, and just to let you know, that flower to your right was the one I was holding earlier…" She grinned manically and leapt back.

The Explosion Corps was famous. He'd learnt about them at the Academy. Apparently, they infused objects with chakra and made them-

Sasori barely managed to summon Turquoise in time. "HA!" The once harmless flower exploded in a small but deadly blast. However, when the smoke cleared, Sasori had been replaced by a ball of spikes with three legs. The red head was safe inside Turquoise. The expression on her face was annoyed yet impressed. "Huh? A puppeteer? Interesting…I guess the face paint should've given it away."

"You have the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai," Sasori said, remembering what he'd been taught in class. "You pump chakra into things to make them explode."

"No shit, Rat! My name is Asuko Junhi," she introduced with an ecstatic laugh. Asuko broke into a run, chakra exiting the soles of her feet and seeping into the floor's foliage. "You got a name too, Rat?"

"Maybe." He couldn't risk unsealing the outer-shell, meaning he'd have to do this fight blind. Sasori closed his eyes and focused on seeing the world beyond through chakra alone. It was a tedious task, but thankfully Asuko was too inexperienced to supress her chakra signature, and the path of explosive chakra she expelled from her feet marked an easy trail through the field.

Sasori worked his chakra strings through the puppet. Turquoise's outer shell began to spin, tossing up dirt and grass for a few seconds before it leapt into motion. It spun even faster, chasing after the Iwa-Nin while avoiding the path of chakra laced foliage she left in her wake.

"HA!" Flowers exploded all around him, but the shell of Turquoise was strong enough to survive the turmoil. He raced after the Chunin, but just when he had her, she jumped into the air to avoid the fatal thorns. "NOT BAD, YEAH! HA!" Another explosion to Sasori's left. Turquoise shot to the right and slammed against a tree. The puppeteer was unaffected inside. The chase resumed.

Turquoise nearly impaled her again, but another dodge on her end lengthened their deadly game of tag. "Stay still!" he roared, the rage building inside him.

After two more aerial dodges, Sasori had had enough. It was time for his wildcard.

A twisted smile curled his face as he summoned the one puppet he had never used before from his arsenal. The small thing toddled about innocently, and Sasori changed direction entirely. Turquoise rolled straight for it.

"LOOK OUT!" Asuko lunged at the childish puppet, successfully rescuing it from Turquoise's path of destruction. "HA!" Another patch of terrain exploded, forcing Sasori to change his course away from the Iwa-Nin and Tyke. Now only controlled by one hand, Turquoise slowed down, but he didn't give the Chunin time to notice the change. He curled his other fist, cueing Tyke's special attack. Asuko screamed in pain. It was over.

Tyke had a special place in his heart. It was a marionette of a small child, with eyes larger than normal. The design was subtle yet made the thing irresistibly adorable to the weak minded. A blue bandana hid its lower face, as Sasori had not succeeded in carving realistic jaws, and Tyke always had its weapon in hand: a small teddy bear.

Turquoise's outer shell opened, allowing Sasori to peer through the eyehole. As predicted, the girl lay motionless amongst the flowers. The inner core opened as well, allowing Sasori to casually step outside. His shoes crunched as he traversed the field, carelessly crushing pink flowers beneath his heels.

As he paced closer, he could clearly see her vain struggle. Small tremors coursed through her body as she fought with all her might, but all she could manage to retain was control of her pretty head. She was definitely impressive to maintain _that_ much control. He'd have to up the dosage on Tyke's weapon in future.

"Do you like him?" Sasori asked, gesturing his head in the puppet's direction. Its toy bear had its mouth wide open and a poisoned kunai dangled from its throat. "Tyke makes people put their guard down." Sasori sealed the puppet away in its scroll but left Turquoise where it sat. "Aren't brats irresistible?"

The blonde growled in stark humiliation, clenching her teeth together. "What the fuck? How dare you poison me you stupid-" …She quietened herself as common-sense cut in. Asuko composed herself. "…You beat me, Genin. I ain't a sore loser… You can kill me…but I want to know your name first."

The red head hummed gently as he pulled a kunai knife from his leg pouch and sat down beside her. "If you can guess it, then I'll let you go." He had an unusual desire to see what was inside this Iwa-Ant; was her blood the same as his? Had she killed Sunagakure shinobi before?

"…" She snickered and shot him a cocky grin, "Nimble-Still-Creep?"

He paused. "Even savages tell stories…" Sasori recalled the version Karura had told him, where the woman had lived and kept her son. "How does your version end?"

Asuko was quiet as she stared up at the stars. For a time, he thought the poison had taken complete control of her, but she eventually spoke. "'Never make a promise you cannot keep…or I will take your son…for I am Nimble-Still-Creep…" Asuko swallowed. "She loses her son…and dies."

He actually smiled. "You know the right version. So, are you offering me your son?" Sasori raised an eyebrow at the Iwa-Nin, twirling the kunai in his hand.

She exhaled shakily. "Don't…have one."

"I don't have any use for an Iwa-Brat anyway." The red head actually chuckled, almost sadistically, as he stared at her throat. His mind flashed with images of the pirate leader and he remember how warm his blood had felt on his hands. He held up the kunai, prepared to end her life with one simple slice.

* * *

Dear Reader,

This chapter took a while to fix up, mostly because there was a bit of an inconsistency. Apparently, in the original, Sasori freaked out over killing a rat in the previous chapter, but then easily killed HUMAN PEOPLE in this one. You can argue that he saw them as less than human since they were enemies and it's what he's been trained for, but he is still eight years old. Ah well, all fixed now with some great symbolism and child trauma thrown in for good measure!

Moved the Nimble-Still-Creep story to a previous chapter just to make the ending here a bit tighter. I was worried about receiving some backlash over Asuko's character, but was happy to find most readers seemed to enjoy her and I hope you do too! Don't worry, Sasori will find A LOT of uses for an Iwa-Brat! *winks with both eyes*

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	5. To be a Chunin

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Five**

 **To be a Chunin**

Sasori's hand stopped in mid-air. The kunai knife dangled uselessly just above its intended prey. He felt sick again. The red head stood and went to check on Turquoise instead.

"Well?" growled the paralysed Shinobi. "Aren't you going to kill me already?" Sasori stroked his beloved marionette and his mind went to simpler things. He would have to clean the metal when he returned home to Sunagakure, and maybe give it a new paint job. No, he'd _definitely_ give it a new paint job.

He sealed his puppet back into the scroll, satisfied with the inner core's functionality. "No," Sasori managed to say, "I just came to test my upgrade." He turned back to the pretty blonde, forcing himself to smile. Damn he hated her and every instinct in him was screaming. "This is neutral territory, so I won't cause trouble for my home." Sasori returned to the girl's side and picked up her hand. "Here, Nimble-Still-Creep…" The eight-year-old slipped his bracelet around the girl's wrist, the intricate silver carvings flashing in the moonlight. "My bracelet."

The silver dove looked at peace.

Sasori let her limp hand fall to the ground as he began his long walk to the village. Asuko laughed loudly behind him, but Sasori didn't turn to face her. "You can't even finish me off! Don't bother trying to become a Chunin, wimp; you'll never make-!" She was cut off as the poison finally defeated her and she lost the use of her mouth.

Sasori didn't spare the insane blonde a glance; it was the last time he ever saw the mother of his future catastrophe. As he walked, he plucked a single pink flower and slipped it into his pocket. "I promise you, Asuko Junhi, I will become the most powerful Shinobi the likes of you, and everyone else, has ever seen."

-o-

Asuko Junhi… That meant something along the lines of 'Tomorrow Child Pure Sun'… How ironic.

I prefer to translate her name as 'Tomorrow's Child is a Pure Son' but perhaps that's ill-fitting. She did eventually have a son, and he did play a major part in the last few years of my life, but calling him pure is like calling me empathetic.

I should have killed her. It would have saved myself a lot of future hassle. If I had let her die, there'd be a good chance I'd still be alive right now. Well, maybe a _little_ part of me is glad I let her live… Enough dwelling on the future; back to the past.

-o-

Sasori stood on the deck, his eyes dead set on the sea. They were headed home to Suna. Mother Island was still visible on the horizon, but it disappeared more and more with each second that slipped by. Karura and Daichi stood beside him, both unaware of his fight the previous night. The red head closed his eyes and let the rising sun bathe his skin in missed warmth.

"Hey Saso," Karura's voice cut in like a knife, "your bracelet's gone!"

He acted oblivious by inspecting his wrist and pretending to notice the dove wasn't staring up at him. "Must've fallen off when we were exploring," he said while feigning despair.

"Here," Daichi said as he offered the redhead his own scorpion bracelet, "have mine."

Sasori's smile was real. "I can't," he said. "It's yours. I won't die without it." Daichi didn't press as he put it back on his wrist. His smile was even rarer and realer than the redhead's.

"Well," murmured Daichi, "I'm sorry you lost it, but remember what Arata said. There're only three, so you'll recognise it if you see it. Let's see where it ends up."

"You kidding?" Karura laughed. "Arata was probably lying. There're probably millions! Besides, even if there _are_ only three, the chances of finding it are slim to none."

"Yeah," Sasori agreed, "there are probably millions. She wouldn't give us something super-duper rare. Besides, she doubted us as Shinobi."

Karura snorted. "Who wouldn't? We're eight! Sure, we're Genin, but we're still kids to most grownups. They don't know us."

Daichi nodded and said, "People think we're only Genin cause of the war…"

Karura ran a hand through her blonde hair, "I _wish_ people took us seriously." The boys agreed with the girl and fell silent for a while. They watched the waves churn beneath them as the boat sliced cleanly through the water.

"I'm tired," Sasori admitted. "I couldn't sleep last night." He watched as Mother Island disappeared beneath the horizon, as if it had been swallowed by the sea, and then left his two friends to their thoughts. He went below deck and headed straight for his room.

Misaki Sensei leaned against Sasori's cabin door, clearly waiting for him to arrive. He offered the woman a questioning expression but flinched once she looked at him. Her trademark smile was gone, replaced by a stern face. "You should have killed that girl, Sasori. She was an Iwa-Nin; our enemy, but you just let her go. Now she'll return to her village and tell them you attacked her. When the Land of Sea finds out they'll stop trading with us and our people will go hungry."

Sasori resisted the urge to look away from his Sensei's accusing gaze. "But she won't, Sensei. She'd be too prideful to admit a Suna-Rat beat her…"

Much to his shock, Misaki took a step forward and slapped him across the face. The sound rung through his ears before the pain did. He instinctively touched his stinging cheek, hissing in agony as his fingers fell on burning skin. "You better hope so, Sasori, for your sake." With that said, the usually placid woman stalked away, her heeled shoes echoing loudly against the floor.

Tears burned in Sasori's muddy eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Before Misaki Sensei was completely out of earshot, Sasori yelled out, "I WANT TO BECOME A CHUNIN, SENSEI! I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD OF ME!" She stopped for just a moment, but then left as if he'd said nothing. Sasori looked away as an involuntary tear escaped his eye and slid down his burning cheek. His lip quivered in anguish and he shook his head. "I _will_ make you proud of me…"

-x-

Sasori, Karura and Daichi sped towards the village inside Turquoise's inner shell. It was crowded inside, but the trip would only take half as long this way. Misaki Sensei had agreed to meet them in the village the next day and then she'd vanished.

"So, we agree?" asked Sasori.

"Yeah," Karura beamed, "we're strong enough to be Chunin."

Daichi nodded and said, "We have the skill and smarts to climb to the next level."

"So that's it. We're gonna be Chunin."

"…But how?" Daichi repositioned himself into a more comfortable position. He was pressed up against Sasori, but the redhead was strangely okay with that. "Do either of you know how to become Chunin?"

None of them knew. "We should- Ow! Sasori, your weapons pouch is digging into my ribs!" The red head shuffled and vowed to make a model with a lot more room next time. He'd outgrow the inner core eventually. Sasori was getting larger every day, as were his two friends. "As I was saying," Karura continued, "we should ask Misaki-Sensei. She's bound to know the answer."

"Of course," Daichi agreed, "that makes sense. She's a Jonin after all."

"What'll we have to do? Maybe a B-Ranked mission…Or an exam…?"

"It's boiling in here," Karura said instead. "We're all sweaty and you boys stink!"

Sasori rolled his eyes at the whining, "Moron. We're in a desert, cramped inside a small puppet made of wood and metal. It's better than running, and besides…it's a good way to get closer to each other…"

"…" Karura groaned. "Did you just try to make a joke? Seriously Sasori, I'm the funny one here. Stick to being the smart one. Daichi's already the pretty one."

"…" The sickly albino shook his head but couldn't resist smiling at them. "I need better friends…"

-x-

"Welcome home, Sasori." Chiyo smiled at the red head as he entered the kitchen. It was strange to see her there. He'd expected her to be in her room, building puppets or making poisons, but here she was. "We have a visitor today." Oh, that explained it.

He forced a smile once he recognised the man standing next to her. "Granduncle!" The old man, Ebizo, smiled at his nephew. Ebizo had large eyebrows that extended off his face and his eyes were pure black and daunting. Ebizo was usually away helping in the war, so it was peculiar to see him installed in the kitchen.

"Why hello there, Sasori!" The man laughed and picked up his grandnephew with both arms. "You're getting heavy! Soon I won't be able to pick you up." He placed Sasori back down and chuckled. "I thought you wouldn't return until tomorrow, which is why I came today. I imagine you have better things to do than talk to an old man like me, but since you're already here you can have the present I brought you." His granduncle pulled something from behind his back.

In his hands was a small notebook with a cover made of tanned lizard hide. It felt coarse beneath Sasori's fingertips as he took it. On the front cover were intricate designs painted in white outlines. They depicted a raining sky with lightning striking the distant mountains, which in turn towered over fields of flowers and trees. Some of the pinnacles had snow and others were covered in flowing waterfalls. On the back the field of flowers melted into a barren desert, and then into an ocean. The mountains fell to nothing, and the sky stopped its ceaseless crying to reveal a flaming sun.

"Thank you, Granduncle!" Sasori smiled genuinely at Ebizo.

"It's for sketching; Sis keeps telling me about your extraordinary puppets! Maybe you can jot down ideas when you're on missions, or whenever your Granny is working on her own puppets and needs the Creation Room." He laughed. "Or maybe you should find your own workshop."

-x-

Turquoise spun fast, carrying the redhead into the icy desert night. Sasori's granduncle had given him the most amazing idea. Sasori slowed the puppet until it came to a neat rest just outside the small cave he and Karura frequented. He instantly stepped out.

Their carvings for target practise were only three years old, so were only subtly worn after countless sandstorms. The bird was still pronounced, as was the carving of Karura's brother who'd never been born.

Turquoise closed and the three stumpy legs folded out of its base as Sasori walked inside. The puppet waddled in after him. He made a few quick hand signs and called, "Chakra Release: Orb of Light." A ball of glowing chakra formed in the air, floating steadily to light the darkness ahead of him.

Sasori walked deeper into the cave, his eyes tracing over the carvings he and Karura had made over the years. Animals, insects and reptiles. Stick figures and poorly drawn faces. Near the end of the cave were the village symbols, which had all been slashed, except from the Sunagakure gourd of course. On the wall was written: 'Sasori was Here', 'Karura was Here' and 'Daichi was Here also'. On one occasion the blonde and red head had brought the albino to their hideout, but they hadn't visited again since then and that had been months ago. Sasori ignored the carvings and walked until he reached the dead end. This was it.

He summoned his newest puppet, Spit, and it harmlessly floated with the help of the wind-tag. Sasori reopened Turquoise's shells and stepped inside, closing it tight in case the place collapsed around him. Spit unfolded its blades and - at the red head's command - spun erratically.

Sasori pushed the puppet towards the solid wall and tilted it so the drill faced its mark. He deactivated the tag and pushed it the last few inches. The screw connected with the wall and the stone instantly turned to dust. The sound was horrendous, and some debris flew back and hit Turquoise, but Sasori was safe inside the protective puppet.

Sasori would soon have his own Creation Room.

-x-

The red head slept amongst the dust and debris that night with his two beloved puppets not too far from him, their bodies as still as death. Sasori had been at work with Spit for hours without rest. Controlling two puppets for such an extended period had taken its toll on the young boy. Before he had fallen asleep, however, Sasori had completed a final carving to symbolise a finished job.

Dug into the wall was a picture of himself and his two best friends. Karura stood on his right in the drawing, while Daichi was to his left; Sasori held both their hands and all three were smiling sincere smiles.

Sasori's sketchbook lay open not too far away. Placed between the two open pages was the small pink flower he'd taken from Mother Island. On the back of the final page was a replica of his carving on the wall. He slept peacefully in his secret lair.

He dubbed the place his 'Den'.

-x-

"So," Misaki stood in front of the three Genin, "you wanna be Chunin?" She clapped her hands together and happily laughed. "My, isn't this exciting? Oh, you would all make such wonderful Chunin! It's such a shame only one of you will survive~!"

Horrified yet confused sounds filled the air. "Misaki Sensei…" Karura broached. "What do you mean…?"

Misaki grinned at them. Something sinister glinted in her eyes. "To be a Chunin, you must kill your teammates!"

"What?" Sasori gasped. His hands were trembling again. In his mind he saw yellowed eyes devoid of light. "Why?"

"That's how we create the strongest Chunin teams possible. The survivors are placed together. A collection is not about quantity, it's about quality, kids. It's great seeing your initiative though, since most accidentally wait until they're too attached to their comrades. I know I did!" She giggled, "They're harder to kill if they know all your tricks."

"I won't…" Sasori stepped forward and glared at the woman, even though every voice in his head told him not to. She was his elder. He had to be polite. Bitterness welled in his mouth. "I won't kill my friends."

Misaki's grin grew twisted. She leaned down to Sasori's height and lightly caressed his cheek. She smeared his face paint with her fingers. "Well then, Sasori Yoshiko, you're not going to be alive for much longer, are you?"

Karura stepped between the two, loyally moving to Sasori's defence. Misaki pulled her hand away but didn't retreat an inch further. "We aren't going to kill each other!" yelled Karura while baring her teeth. Her friends echoed her resolutely.

Misaki placed her hands on her hips. "When I was a Genin my teammates said the exact same thing. The next day, one of them tried to kill me." She brushed some mouse brown hair from her face, as if it irritated her. The sunlight pirouetted on her skin, casting dark shadows as it offered an odd blend of duality. "You want to be Chunin? This is how you become a Chunin. From now on, you're enemies." Her warped grin reappeared. "Won't this be fun? Let the game begin!"

* * *

Dear Reader,

Sasori's Den is in the Land of Wind, while the place he eventually fights with Sakura and Chiyo isn't. Every villain needs their own secret lair to experiment on things they shouldn't!

So, Sasori and company must murder each other. While it's never stated in the show or manga what Suna used to do for their Genin to become Chunin prior to the Chunin Exam, I based it off the test in both Kirigakure and Konohagakure's Root division. Gotta stomp out those emotions somehow!

Misaki was probably my favourite original character I created for his story. Although she hasn't really done any fighting yet, she is a Jonin for a reason. However, just because you're a Jonin, doesn't mean you should be a squad leader…

Funnily enough, Sasori's notebook is actually based on a poem I wrote while I was at school and is actually foreshadowing to the Imitation World that appears in chapter Twenty-Three…So we still got quite a ways to go! (Don't worry, not even a spoiler)

I hope you're all enjoying the trip so far! Please comment/review and tell me how you're finding it!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	6. The Price

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Six**

 **The Price**

Sasori and his friends walked the streets of Sunagakure, all deep in thought. "This is crazy," declared Karura as she threw up her hands. "They can't expect us to kill each other!"

"We're Shinobi..." Daichi shook his head. "It's…logical. If we kill something we love we'd be perfect soldiers."

"I can't kill friends," Sasori admitted. His mind flashed back to Asuko on Mother Island. How could he kill his friends when he couldn't even kill his enemies? "We'll stay Genin forever."

They were silent, but it wasn't an assuring sound.

-x-

A few days had passed and all three were still alive. The redhead had journeyed in and out the village a lot, working on establishing his new Den. He'd bought a table for the room, a tool rack, an oil lamp, a wall mirror and a broom to sweep out the debris. Slowly it was becoming his second home.

As odd as it was, Sasori had also bought himself a houseplant. The stall owner claimed it liked dark places and didn't need sunlight, so Sasori had purchased it and placed it on top of his new worktable. Maybe he bought it because it released oxygen, maybe he bought it because it was a Venus flytrap, or maybe he'd bought it because it was cute. Whatever the reason it now kept him company and he'd even named it Asuko, in memory of the promise he'd made to the blonde Iwa-nin.

"I will be a Chunin," Sasori said as he watered the Venus flytrap. "I'll find another way."

-x-

"Granny Chiyo…" Sasori sat at the kitchen table where the woman was sipping green tea. She didn't usually like to be disturbed on her short breaks, but she must have sensed his distress and allowed it. She gave him her full attention. "I can't become a Chunin if it means killing Karura and Daichi."

Chiyo set her tea down calmly and slapped him across the face. Sasori yelped and recoiled in absolute shock, placing a hand on his burning cheek.

"Then you are a _disgrace_." Sasori stared at the woman like a deer in headlights. He tried to say something, but she immediately cut him off. "They're your enemy now, Sasori, and if you cannot kill your enemy then you are a failure. People die on the battlefield every day. To be a Shinobi, you can't believe in friendship. Everything you do should be for the sake of the village."

"But Granny…" Sasori was desperate. "If I did…I'd be evil!"

"Nonsense! You'd be a true Shinobi. You must kill Daichi and Karura, before they kill you."

"NO!" Sasori glared at the woman and forced himself to stand. Chakra flared around him in anger. "I WON'T! I WON'T KILL THEM! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Tears burned in his muddy eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Sasori refused to look pathetic.

Chiyo growled at the insubordination and stood as well. "If you won't kill them then you're a disgrace to this family! Your parents would be ashamed!"

Sasori gasped. The accusation hit hard. No more words came to mind and she said nothing else. He had to escape.

He hurried out the kitchen, intent on reaching his Den. How could a heartless old hag know how he felt? She'd given up her friends long ago for work, she'd given EVERYTHING up for work, but Sasori was nothing like her! SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING!

A small voice tried to convince him she cared. Maybe she feared for his life. Maybe she feared for his future. Maybe she was scared too. The small excuse was drowned out by utter rage. He needed to get away.

-x-

Sasori had been headed for his Den when the Shinobi attacked. Thankfully he was already safe inside Turquoise when it happened.

"SUPERNOVA!"

Something disturbed the night air around him. No, something was _cutting_ straight through it. A loud explosion rang through the world as whatever it was collided with the sand beside him. Turquoise was flung into the air. Sasori shut the outer shell as another object smashed straight into him. Together they plummeted through the shifting sand and ended up lodged in the earth below.

Sasori was dazed by the spontaneous attack, but the assault was far from over. "ARMAGEDDON STAR!" The sand around the puppet shifted again and they were suddenly lifted back into the air. Turquoise spun frantically without Sasori's threads and he realised where he was with sickening immediacy.

He and his puppet were trapped in a tornado. Thankfully the inner core remained unaffected in the centre, but if the outer shell broke he'd be in danger.

The redhead recovered his composure from the initial attack. It was time for action! First, he had to check his puppet's condition as he ran chakra threads through it. He was relieved to find only a few spikes had snapped off, all repairable, but now he had to do something to counter the sand tornado. If this were a real twister he'd have zero options, but one made with a Jutsu was different…

An idea came to mind.

Sasori removed his puppet strings from Turquoise and summoned Spit below, deactivating the puppet's wind release tag.

Spit stood still in the eye of the hurricane until Sasori used his chakra threads to spin him in the opposite direction. It took all ten fingers to reach such an impressive speed, and he had to repeatedly activate and deactivate the Wind Release Tag so Spit didn't become buried in the unstable sand. Sweat beaded his forehead from the effort alone and at first nothing happened.

But then it did. The wind gradually weakened and then disappeared entirely. Yes, the tornado had just been a Jutsu, and an unskilled one at that. Spit went limp as Sasori redirected all his strings to Turquoise, shutting his eyes tight as he tumbled towards the ground. Sasori spun the outer shell as fast as possible. When Turquoise finally met the ground, it ricocheted off and flew directly at the detected enemy. Even if Sasori hadn't recognised the Jutsu, he would have recognised the chakra of his friend: Daichi.

As he steered straight for the Genin, both the inner shell and outer shells splayed open and Turquoise ground to a halt. Sasori flew out the marionette to meet his attacker. Daichi hadn't expected the redhead to leave his puppet, nor did he have time to react as Sasori latched onto him.

Together they tumbled through the sand, their hands reaching up to claw, punch and scratch as they went. They finally came to a halt with Daichi emerging victorious. He pinned Sasori against the icy sand below. Both panted with exertion.

Cold wind blew against their faces, irritating the fresh wounds they'd only just inflicted on the other. The albino had three elongated marks across his face, while the redhead had several scratches on his jaw and three just below his headband. His face paint was smeared beyond recognition.

"Why?" Sasori croaked. His head swam with pain, anger and betrayal. Daichi had really tried to kill him!

"I _need_ to be a Chunin," Daichi said easily. There was no desperation in the albino's mutated pupils, just sombre acceptance. "It's all I have. I'm ugly, I'm weak, I'm poor and I'm an orphan. Being a Genin is the only good thing about me, but it's not enough." While he was talking, Sasori was already calculating a way to escape Daichi's grip. "I'll be a Chunin, and then one day I'll be Kazekage. I'll do _anything_ for that."

It was all a lie. Even Sasori could see Daichi had no intention of killing him, but the redhead could only focus on his words.

It was much easier to kill an enemy than a friend. Daichi knew that well.

"Shut up…" Sasori whispered. A tremor of rage shot through his body. He wanted Daichi dead. Daichi _deserved_ to die. He was overcome by an animalistic instinct he couldn't control.

He finally snapped.

Chakra surged through his young body and he struggled frantically against Daichi's grip. The albino was either taken by surprise, or willingly let go. Sasori shoved the boy onto his back and mechanically drew a kunai from his weapons pouch.

"SHUT UP!" Blood splattered across the redhead's face as he stabbed the traitor in the chest. He didn't aim for the throat or for the heart or anything vital. Sasori simply stabbed. He watched as his hands turned red and for the briefest of moments he thought he saw ghostly fingers cupped around his own, helping him.

Again and again. He didn't stop. He _couldn't_ stop. Sasori knifed Daichi repeatedly as his hand kept rising and falling. The blade kept sinking in and out of flesh. Blood was everywhere – on his face, in his mouth, in the sand - yet he was unable to control his actions.

His brutality was only stopped by a feeble hand as it pressed against his cheek, smudging the redhead's face with more red. Sasori came back to his senses and stared at what he had done.

He dropped the kunai and grabbed hold of Daichi's hand. "N-No! Stay with me!"

The albino watched him with dying mutated pupils. Tears stained his face. "Sa-sori…" Blood leaked from his mouth as he desperately fought to remain, despite the agony of life. "…I'm…" Red dripped into his white hair, staining it forever. He hurt so badly, yet somehow Daichi managed a final smile. "…I liked-" His eyes widened for the briefest of moments as life finally failed him. His hand went limp in Sasori's and Daichi's eyes grew dim. His pupils vanished.

Tears formed as he stared at the lifeless body. "…No…" He shook violently and his chest was heaving so violently he thought maybe he'd been stabbed as well. Sasori grabbed his friend and pulled him to his chest. Blood seeped into his shirt. It coated his skin and soon it was all he could smell. "NO!"

-x-

The redhead lay Daichi on the worktable and successfully lit the lamp with the fourth match. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he had to do something. With nowhere else to go, Sasori had carried Daichi to his Den. He tried to heal the damage he'd done, but the lacerations refused to heal. There was so much internal damage. Too much.

Sasori looked around for anything that could help and his eyes finally fell on Turquoise. The marionette sat motionless beside the table. It was damaged from the earlier fight, but it could be repaired…

His eyes slipped to his tools. An impossible idea embedded itself in Sasori's mind. He tried to push it away, tried to convince himself the thought was depraved and deviant, but the voice in his head only spoke louder.

Turn Daichi into a puppet.

Puppets could be fixed. They lived forever. Daichi didn't have to die here. He didn't have to disappear. He _never_ had to disappear.

"…" The redhead tore off the boy's coat and shirt, tossing them carelessly and without thought. Daichi's chest was a bloody mess of flesh and blood and he felt sick at the mere sight of it.

Sasori grabbed his sharpest scalpel from the rack and pressed it against Daichi's throat. It easily sliced through the sickly skin. Sasori returned the medical-knife to the rack and crawled onto the table for a better view.

He dug his fingers into the wound and pulled the skin back to reveal Daichi's innards. The stench was maddening, but Sasori had no time to be sickened by it as he dug his small hands inside and pulled out organ after organ. Stomach, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, lungs, one right after the other. All were dropped unceremoniously to the floor.

He slipped his hand under Daichi's ribcage to reach his once-beating heart. Sasori pulled it out and stared at it. It was squishy and still so warm and wet between his palms.

He stared at the organ and was hit by a wave of complete and utter grief. A bloodcurdling sound echoed throughout the Den. He shook violently as his mind finally caved. Tremors racked his body and tears stung his eyes. Sasori cried in anguish. He couldn't take it anymore. He was ready to explode.

Tears sprung from his eyes and he sobbed bitterly. Sasori clutched the bloody heart against his chest. At some point he must've fallen from the table, for he now stared up at the candle-lit ceiling. He hadn't noticed the pain. He hadn't even noticed he'd dropped the heart.

Sasori rolled onto his stomach and crawled to Daichi's discarded cloak. The white stars were now smeared with red.

He buried his face in the folds of the cloak and screamed. His head felt like it was going to split open. Sasori could hear the voices. Images of Daichi, Karura, Chiyo, Misaki, and even his parents buzzed about him. He could hear them so loudly. They echoed in his Den.

Sasori couldn't stop crying. The voices continued, the images flashed, his head was throbbing and Sasori wished he had never been born. WHY HIM? WHY DID EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAPPEN TO HIM?

The torment only ended when he managed to cry himself to sleep. That night he slept amongst blood, organs and an open corpse.

-x-

Sasori came to around lunchtime the next day. His entire body ached. He released the clothing he'd been holding and stood as he rubbed his eyes. Sasori knew perfectly well what had happened yesterday.

Everything was dark. The lamp must've run out of oil. Sasori made a few shaky hand signs. "Chakra Release: Orb of Light." The ball of Chakra appeared and Sasori caught sight of himself in the Den's mirror.

He looked like shit.

Every inch of him was coated in dry crusty blood. His eyes were red, swollen and enflamed, while the rest of the Den was in a similar state to its owner. The feast had attracted swarms of insects, and the genjutsu wall he'd set up at the chamber's entrance hadn't worked on them.

Asuko, his plant, was happily eating any insect that came too close by extending her leaves, grabbing bugs with them, and then shovelling them into her snapping mouth.

Sasori didn't feel anything.

He mindlessly gathered the partially eaten innards and dumped them back into the stone-dead corpse. Sasori pulled out a needle and thread and set to work closing his frantic incision from the night before. Unlike the rest of Daichi, the insects hadn't touched his body for Asuko ate any that came too close. In any case, Sasori had a lengthy task ahead of him.

First Human Puppet: Unsuccessful

-o-

Of course it was unsuccessful! I had a fucking _breakdown_ at the start of the conversion process. I don't even know why I was so upset anymore: a Shinobi doesn't require friends.

That was the first turning point, I suppose. After that, death became simple. I didn't even feel remotely guilty when I killed…Well, _her_ death was an accident.

Daichi would've made a good human puppet though. His eye technique was interesting. Oh well, no use in complaining over decayed bodies.

I made so many human puppets in my life. It took me a while to work out the how, but I figured it out. It almost sickens me to think back on that first time. Hindsight is 20/20, I suppose, but how could I have not known? Oh, what a naïve runt I was.

-o-

It was dark by the time Sasori finished digging the hole. It was located close to Sunagakure's graveyard, but he didn't dare enter the village with his friend's corpse. He was still covered in dry blood, but he didn't even bother to wash it off. Some things were simply less important than others. He picked up Daichi's body one final time and carefully placed him in the hole, sparing one final look at his handiwork. His face was recognisable at least, even if a little scratched and stained, but the rest of him was a different story.

Dried red clumps were tangled in the albino's snow-white hair. The light from the full moon reflected off the Sunagakure headband around his neck and the star on his forehead was as dull as death.

Sasori fell to his knees and took the time to refill the grave by hand. Around Sasori's wrist was Daichi's silver bracelet. The intricate designs sparkled in the moonlight, too precious to be buried with the bracelet's owner. In the centre of the pattern sat the silver scorpion, now and forever in the possession of Sasori.

 _The scorpion was a symbol of defence, calm and self-protection._

At last, Sasori drew his kunai and dug two words into the wall above Daichi's grave: 'A Dove'.

-x-

Sasori came home cold and starving and still covered in blood. He thought he'd be alone, as per usual, but Chiyo was waiting for him. "Sasori…" She stood from her chair and walked to his side, not at all fazed by the horrific sight. Her arms wrapped around the exhausted eight-year-old. Sasori couldn't even find the will to return the hug. Her grip tightened and Chiyo finally said: "…I'm so proud of you."

* * *

Dear Reader,

First of all, thanks to Keono and Bubbles for their comments on the previous chapter! I love hearing from you all!

This chapter surprisingly had a lot of changes, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. Originally he confronted Chiyo first and a few days past, whereas I felt it better suited if he faced Daichi immediately after getting bitch slapped (both verbally and literally) by his granny.

Daichi's final words changed, as did the words on his grave marker. As I've said previously, Daichi's character parallels Naruto's, but also highlights what Sasori _could_ have been like under different circumstances, thus the reason he started out with the dove bracelet. Daichi was a potential option for Sasori's growth in the future that got snuffed out too soon.

So, one teammate is down. The next chapter: Sasori vs. Karura! (One of my personal favourite fight scenes in the story) Who will win!

Please comment/review and tell me how you're finding everything! Did I make you cry? Did I make you hate Chiyo? Or am I being a little too hard on Sasori? Let me know!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	7. Sasori vs Karura

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Sasori vs. Karura**

Karura hugged Sasori the second she saw him. "Sasori! No one has seen you or Daichi in days! I was so scared!" She laughed anxiously and squeezed him harder. Sasori let her. She pulled away after a while and smiled up at him, "So where's Daichi?" Sasori's gaze was cold. Karura noticed the scratches across his cheeks and everything clicked into place. She froze in horror. "…You…" The blonde couldn't even finish the sentence.

After a long otherworldly silence, Sasori spoke. "He attacked first…I had no choice." He lifted his arm. The scorpion bracelet winked in the sunlight, but Karura could only stare in horror.

"Well, well, well," cooed their Sensei. They turned to see Misaki Satomi leaning placidly against a wall. "Such a shame~" She pursed her lips together in a displeased pout, "Daichi _was_ my favourite…" She shot Sasori a scathing glance. "A wimp like you managed to kill him? Beggars can't be choosers I guess." She straightened up. "One down, one to go. Who will become our precious little Chunin? The one with Genin blood on his hands, or is the little girl going to surprise us all? I know who _I_ want to win!"

"I won't kill Sasori!" Karura instantly retorted, "And he won't kill me!" There was a time of silence as they waited for Sasori's approval, some confirmation that her words were true, but he said nothing. She went rigid.

"See?" Their Sensei snorted and clapped her hands together. "Just accept it! Sasori will kill you the moment you turn your back!"

"…Fine." Karura threw her head back and pivoted sharply on her heel. She came face to face with Sasori, so close that she pressed their foreheads together. All he could see were her teal eyes. "You," she growled. A sinister fire burned through him. "We're doing this _now_."

-x-

Sasori and Karura stood surrounded by the wasteland, a long way from civilisation. Misaki had not followed them. Hot wind whipped their hair, the only movement that disturbed their standoff.

With the promise of battle, Sasori's mind was back in gear. First he needed to assess his arsenal. Turquoise was still damaged from its previous fight but was still perfectly operational. Some of Spit's limbs were clogged with sand too, but the rest of its weapons were usable. Right, Cephalo was in good condition, but although Tyke was in good condition too, Karura already knew the puppet's true nature.

A puppeteer worked best against an unknown enemy, but Karura knew his puppets well. She knew their strengths, she knew their weaknesses and she knew their tricks. He was at a further disadvantage as he'd barely seen what Karura was capable of.

Then again, there _was_ his trump card… He hadn't used his newest puppet in combat before, as it wasn't completely finished, but it was the one advantage he had over his friend.

"I won't bother going easy on you, Sasori." Karura flicked her fan open to reveal two purple moons. "I'm not giving you the first move." She immediately waved the weapon. Powerful gusts of wind launched at the redhead with only half murderous intent.

Sasori summoned Turquoise around him. The wind hit the outer shell and sent them rolling back several paces, but Sasori was safe inside. He placed his hands against the wooden shell and pushed chakra stings into the puppet as he pressed back against the tearing gale. The blonde waved her fan again and again, but it did little against the strong outer shell. As soon as the wind stopped, Sasori opened the outer shell to watch Karura's next move through the eyehole.

"Hmph," she said, "stop going easy on me, Saso!" She whipped her fan to reveal three purple moons. "I'm not going easy on you!" The blonde brought her thumb to her mouth and bit down. Blood dripped down her lip, gleaming red in the scorching light. She moved her wounded thumb to the open fan and slid a line of crimson along the crisp paper. "Like my Mum always says!" Karura offered the redhead a sharp toothed grin, a look of almost lunacy on her face. "You should sharpen your sickle at sunset! Summoning: Blade Dance!"

A weasel appeared at Karura's feet, its mouth occupied by an enormous sickle. The creature had light grey fur and even wore a traditional shirt with golden thread. Its eyes were beady and black. A creature summoned with Jutsu.

"Go Kamatari!" The creature snarled and Karura waved her fan with everything she had. Kamatari leapt into the air and rode the wind towards Sasori. He shut Turquoise's outer shell and tried to avoid the attack, but there was no escape.

Metal objects clanked damagingly at Turquoise's shell, snapping off more and more spikes, before a tornado suddenly formed around them. Sasori was trapped inside a twister for the second time in several days. He bit his lip. While this _was_ a Jutsu, from the amount of chakra he sensed around him, it was far more impressive than Daichi's.

He was about to summon Spit to attempt another reversal, when he froze. He'd been so tuned-in to the chakra around him that he could sense Karura's summoned weasel. It landed on her fan and the chakra it exuded increased tenfold.

"Finish him off!" cried Karura as she swung her fan a final time.

Kamatari ripped through the air, swinging straight for him. Sasori cursed and thought quickly. The outer seam! Karura would aim for the vertical outer seam!

With no other choice, he braced himself against one side of Turquoise. Kamatari reached the tornado and performed one last frontal flip. Its blade sliced the hurricane in two.

There was an ethereal delay before Sasori recognised the full extent of the attack. His prized puppet was sliced cleanly, as Sasori would have been as well had he not hugged the side. Karura really _was_ trying to kill him.

The walls of the puppet fell away. Without anything to protect him, Sasori plummeted towards the hot desert sand.

His future was simple. He'd hit the ground in a matter of seconds and the impact would break his neck. So, he had to act quickly.

In his time of need, Sasori summoned Spit. He used chakra stings to wrench the puppet into his arms and he held on for dear life. The redhead inhaled as deeply as he could and spun the drill. The motion made him nauseous, but didn't last long as together they plummeted through the sand.

The dust cleared. Karura scanned the scene. The broken sections of Turquoise were all that remained as the weasel landed in front of her. Everything was too quiet…

Without warning, something lashed out from beneath the sand and drove home in the weasel's eye. The wretched creature howled in agony as it disappeared in a puff of smoke. The thing slipped back beneath the sand before Karura could get a good look at it.

She didn't give it the chance to strike again. The blonde waved her fan at her feet and flew into the air. The sand parted to reveal her enemy below.

A giant scorpion sat exposed in the sand, at least twice the size of a table, painted the same colour as the desert. Sharp spines lined its back. Its two giant claws clicked ominously, and the puppet's burning amber eyes watched its prey. With its cover blown (quite literally), its weaponised tail readied for Karura to fall.

Karura growled at the unforeseen issue, "Wind Release: Twirling Lily." She waved her fan again and she steadily rose. The girl even had the nerve to stick her tongue out at the scorpion. Sasori, who sat comfortably inside his latest puppet, raised an eyebrow. He was beginning to enjoy this battle. "Can't catch me, can you?" Karura laughed as she rose ever higher.

"We'll see about that…" Sasori bent the puppet's legs and allowed chakra to gather in the powerful joints. Just as Karura was about to wave her fan again, he released the pressure. The scorpion shot into the air.

Karura yelped in fear and tried to get higher, but it was too late.

The elongated tail wrapped around her small body and they both went crashing to the ground below. Karura groaned and spat out some sand, while Sasori finally opened the hatch of his latest creation. She didn't even look at him as he stepped out and flexed his fingers as he approached her. "I guess I won," he informed matter-of-factly.

She spat up more sand and laughed. He tightened the tail's grip and her laughing was replaced by a pained gasp. "Cool…puppet," she managed. Her eyes turned to him at last. There was no betrayal there; not even regret. "It got a…name yet?"

"No," he admitted as he calmly drew a kunai from his pouch. "Any ideas?"

"I always got ideas," she said as she beamed up at him. He spun the kunai on his finger with clear hostile intent, but she was unfazed. "Roan. Cause of the…colour."

He stopped and caught the handle in his palm. "Roan," he repeated, tasting the name. The silence was just as palpable. Finally, he nodded. "I like it…Yeah, I like it a lot. Roan it is." He turned his head to marvel his creation. "Turquoise was too small for the three of us, so I-" His stomach squeezed at the thought. His fingers tightened around the kunai and his knuckles turned white.

"Will Turquoise be…okay?" Karura asked. Her voice was too genuine, despite the situation. She should've been begging for her life, not asking if his puppet was okay! "Never used Kamatari before. Didn't know he was _that_ strong. Thought Turquoise would hold. Can you…fix him?"

 _Him_. Sasori's eyes flicked to the sliced pieces of Turquoise. _Him_.

"It'll take some time, but I can fix…him." _Him_. Why did that sound so right? "He's just been sliced. 'Crushed' would've been a different story, but I can fix 'sliced'." His eyes returned to her. "I won…right?"

"Not yet," she said with a sorry smile. "A fight to the death, remember?"

He nodded, but his head felt heavy on his shoulders as he resumed his approach. The kunai glinted in the burning sunlight. He loomed over her and she closed her eyes serenely, as if she were trying to spare him from that final look. Sasori swayed as he recalled how the light had vanished from the pirate's eyes, and then he was reminded of Daichi's dying moments as well.

 _Sasori…I'm…I liked…_

He slumped against Roan's tail. He felt sick. Neither of them spoke for the longest time, but at last Sasori waved his fingers. Karura was released from Roan's clutches.

She stood up and calmly dusted the sand from her clothes. Karura didn't run, nor did she complain about the bruising across her body, she just sat beside him without a second thought. His eyes were glued to the horizon as the images refused to release him. He was a perfect target now. If she killed him now he wouldn't care, for at least his misery would be over.

Even so, she just sat there and joined him in staring at the horizon. "So, how're we gonna be Chunin?" Karura leaned her head against his shoulder.

Sasori inhaled and exhaled as the images finally granted him peace. He came to a final decision: He'd _never_ hurt Karura.

"It's all wrong," murmured Sasori as he leaned his head against Karura's. "They…want to make strong teams by pairing survivors, but we're the strongest Genin in Sunagakure."

She giggled. "I think you need to check your ego, Saso, but you're right. It's…flawed, I guess. The strongest wins in each team, but you won't get the strongest Chunin overall…So, Sasori, what's our plan?"

The sun flashed in his distant eyes, casting dark shadows across his face. "We kill the competition."

-o-

That's how we became Chunin. We decimated the other teams and we gave Sunagakure an ultimatum: give us what we wanted or lose their cannon fodder. Hard decisions must be made in times of war. They couldn't punish us for it, since it was what we'd been trained to do, so they were forced to reward us. Two children made the almighty village cave to their demands. Karura and I were inseparable.

Still, I wish I _had_ killed her. It would have been a swift, humane death, rather than the torture she would inevitably endure. I used to wonder what Karura would've wanted for herself: to be killed by her best friend, or to be killed by her newborn son…

-o-

Eleven Years of Age

The war ended when they were nine, but by then their plan had already worked. At the age of eight, both Sasori and Karura had become Chunin. Misaki Sensei had been outwardly indifferent on the matter, only mentioning once how she was glad _Karura_ had survived. Sasori found some satisfaction in that, but wished she'd remarked on it further. Beggars couldn't be choosers, he supposed…

Besides, his collection had grown. Sasori was finally being recognised for his designs, and he was often asked to build puppets for the war whenever he wasn't away on a mission. At first he'd thought he'd work alongside Chiyo, but instead she hired messengers to give him orders. He tried not to let it bother him…

Sasori's most recent focus was on human anatomy, poisons and medical ninjutsu, the same focus as his granny. He had also begun to 'borrow' scrolls from the Third Kazekage's library by using small puppets called 'Rats'. They were perfect for slipping through the defences without raising any alarms. They had once been living creatures, but he had figured out how to use their existing skin, fur and bone structure to turn them into puppets. He thought it would be less work, but it ended up being fiddlier than it should've been, and all the flesh had been replaced with wood.

His Shinobi team was still led by Misaki Sensei and was compiled of Sasori, Karura, and her twin brother, Yashamaru. The blond was not as strong or as good at Jutsu as his sister was, but he was smarter at least…

Yashamaru's placement in the group had been a strange yet thoughtful decision. He was still just a Genin, but after Sasori and Karura's carnage the leaders refused to risk sacrificing anymore promising candidates to their hands. Yashamaru had been a safe option.

That was how Team Three had died and Team Blooming Storm was born.

Sasori still wore the same face paint, except he'd added a horizontal and vertical line across his face. He also wore the official Sunagakure flak jacket while on missions and a black coat when he was home. His two large scrolls had been replaced by a large medical pouch, while he kept small puppet scrolls in the pockets of his jacket. He still wore his Sunagakure protector on his forehead.

He, Karura and Yashamaru worked unsurprisingly well together, even though the land was suffering through an irritating peace.

-x-

Sasori sat at his workbench, reading by lamp light. He had taken the scroll only two days ago, but he'd barely been able to put it down. The paper went into great detail about some failed experiments of Sunagakure's past, wherein they'd tried to retain a person's Jutsu even after death. The methods tested were interesting and one had even been led by the Puppet Brigade.

The crafters had tried to convert a fresh corpse into a human puppet. Their process had started simple enough: remove the organs, drain the blood and add some wooden structure to keep it from collapsing. He'd had the same thought process when building his Rats.

At first the puppet had been successful, but over time it had decayed. Before they could redo the experiment, the research was declared unethical and was scrapped.

Apparently it 'devalued' the worth of human life.

Sasori hummed in thought and moved his hand to his beloved plant, Asuko. She had grown over the years, so the bulb of her head was now the size of a fist. Her leaves had grown as well, and she was now able to reach bugs as far away as the middle of the Den. Asuko's poison had also developed, but Sasori had created a long-lasting antidote that would hopefully keep him immune for life.

As the redhead caressed his pet, the deadly plant recreated a purring noise and nuzzled against her master's palm like a mutated house cat. "So they were successful, except over time the puppet decayed…Maybe a preservative could fix that. Probably something petroleum based…or maybe a borate compound. Hell, even an arsenic based preservative would work wonders." Asuko continued to purr. "Maybe…" He stared at the scroll. Did he really want to walk in the footsteps of these men? "What do you think, Asuko?"

The flytrap squeaked.

"I should?" The redhead thought back to when he'd tried to turn Daichi into a puppet only three years ago. His eyes swept thoughtfully over old blood stains. "Humans are fleeting, but puppets are eternal, like True Art itself…" An ironic smile curled his lips.

* * *

Dear Reader,

Firstly, thank you Keono and CrystalSerpent for your reviews on chapter 6, and thank you to everyone who has left Kudos/favourites/bookmarks! If there is anyone you know who read the original who might not know it's being remastered, please do them a favour and let them know!

I actually have a printed copy of the original _As White as Blood_ that a friend once made for me through Blurb. It was so long it had to be printed over two books! Even now I like to sometimes open them to certain scenes, and the fight between Sasori and Karura is one of my favourite pre-Deidara scenes.

I really loved the opportunity to write Karura's character since not a lot was known about her. In fact, when I started writing this, pretty much NOTHING was known about her. Just like Chiyo and Misaki, Karura plays a major part in Sasori succumbing to his twisted nature, but her method is very different.

There are times when you shouldn't be supportive of even your best friends. There are times you need to call them out and times to let them know they are in the wrong, but Karura can't do that in a society where the difference between right and wrong are twisted. Her support is one of Sasori's main driving forces and we'll get to see a lot more of her in the future!

Oh yeah, and Sasori is the reason Kamatari has an eyepatch cause I love irony.

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	8. Iron Maiden

As White as Blood

Chapter Eight

Iron Maiden

Team Blooming Storm had been issued a simple B-Ranked mission: eliminate a group of bandits in the Land of Birds. The country was located between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth and would take several days to reach on foot. Fortunately, Sasori's large puppet, Roan, was spacious enough for Karura, Yashamaru and Sasori, meaning they reached the end of the desert with plenty of time to spare. Misaki Sensei, being a Jonin, was able to keep up on foot.

Seeing the sudden line of trees was always off-putting. Sasori stopped the puppet and opened the hatch, allowing the three young Shinobi to step outside. His hands had already pulled two scrolls from his jacket and two puffs of smoke indicated he'd activated them. Roan vanished into one and a different puppet appeared in its stead. Sasori slipped the scrolls away and waited patiently for Misaki Sensei's instructions.

Sweat ran down her forehead from the heat, but other than that she seemed altogether unaffected by the run. "So," she said, "is this our ride?"

"Phoenix can do the trick," said Sasori as he looked to his puppet. It was a large bird, slightly larger than Roan, with its base painted the same colour as the sky so it could camouflage when seen from below. The top, however, was painted in vibrant flourishes of red and yellow, interrupted only be Sasori's official Puppet Brigade logo: a red scorpion on a white background with a red outline. All of his puppets now had the symbol. In the puppet's beak and anisodactyl feet were fire jets, to help the puppet better live up to its proud name. "Her wings are large enough to carry all four of us."

"She's pretty!" Karura hopped around the puppet as she examined it, her movements bursting with enthusiasm.

Yashamaru eyed it curiously, looked at Sasori and then turned away entirely. He wouldn't allow himself to get drawn into their 'games'. "How high can it go?"

"She can go as high as possible, but we can't. The air gets too thin," said Sasori as he climbed onboard the puppet. "But if she flies too low her camouflage won't work, and people will notice us. I'll decide the right height once we're airborne." Sasori crossed his arms and outstretched his fingers as he attached his threads. "Now hurry up, she won't bite unless I make her."

Karura scaled the puppet's back and sat directly behind Sasori, while Yashamaru only joined them after ensuring his sister had made it safely. It was Misaki's first time riding one of his puppets and, although she didn't look pleased, she leapt on without any fuss. However, she chose to stand rather than sit, instead using the chakra in her feet to keep her glued in place.

Once everyone was on, the redhead waved his fingers up and down and Phoenix's wings followed suit. The wings each bore a similar design to Karura's fan as they kicked up wind and picked up speed. When he'd first designed the puppet, he'd been unable to get the image of Karura twirling through the air out of his mind. She'd become his inspiration for his first flying puppet and he was thankful for their fight.

Phoenix soon hovered off the ground, whipping leaf litter and sand in every direction. "Hold on tight," warned Sasori as he fastened his feet into carefully hidden slots. Karura wrapped her arms around his waist while Yashamaru clung to his sister's shoulders. Misaki put her hands on her hips and waited.

Phoenix shot into the air. A wave of energy swept through all four Shinobi, paired by the strange sense of weightlessness that accompanied flight. Karura's grip on Sasori tightened to the point of oxygen deprivation, but he was too focused on steadying the puppet to even think about breathing.

The quick burst successfully launched them high enough and Sasori finally stretched the bird's wings to their maximum size. Their speed slowed, and the ride evened out. Thankfully, they remained airborne. Only then did Sasori realise his predicament. "K-Karura … Worst is over … Let go of me …"

He managed a glance over his shoulder. A sinister grin was plastered across her face and her dancing eyes told of some planned unsavoury comment, but she must've thought better of it as she released him. Sasori inhaled deeply and turned his attention back to the sky as he gauged the perfect height.

-x-

"Wow, this place is so pretty!" Karura called as she watched the land spread out beneath them. It was so different to their desert. The trees were impressively green and as they flew further they soon found themselves soaring above a sparkling blue lake. Thousands of birds congregated on the shimmering surface, filling the alien world with beauty. They'd never seen so many colours. "I guess that's why it's called the Land of Birds."

"You're a genius," murmured Sasori quietly, but he then spoke louder. "The lake is called Wataridori Lake. The nation is poor and shares placement with Ishigakure, so it has no army or Shinobi. The leader is the Daimyo Owashi, but the capital is currently overrun by bandits. They've imprisoned Owashi and his twins in the palace, so we need to make our way inside the Daimyo's compound to help."

Misaki pointed to some buildings on the horizon. "There's the village. Find a clearing to land in and we'll walk the rest of the way."

He guided Phoenix into said clearing, finding it was just large enough for the puppet. The branches shook as they landed, but after a minute of careful steering and meticulous manoeuvring, Phoenix was safely settled on the ground. Misaki hopped off first and her team followed her example, all appearing quite happy to be back on solid ground.

Sasori rolled his eyes and used a string to pull Phoenix's scroll into his hand. The puppet was sealed away. "It was that way," he said while pointing east.

"It _is_ ," confirmed their Jonin leader, "but we should devise a plan for infiltrating the Daimyo's compound first."

-x-

The group of strangers walked through the village's quiet streets, drawing the attention of several wary denizens but failing to keep their interest. The group was made up of a tall woman, a girl with a neat bun, a boy with a black ponytail, and another boy with short white hair. Behind them marched a giant lizard, swathed in a black cape, with a caravan lugging at its heels. Probably a family of merchants looking for a place to stay. The Transformation Jutsu kept the four Sunagakure Shinobi covert.

They crossed a bridge over a small canal and headed closer to the village's centre. The rogues they were after had taken up residence in the Daimyo's home. One of the priestesses had managed to escape but had been lost in the desert until a group of returning Sunagakure ANBU had found her. Once brought to the safety of Suna, she had requested the mission and promised to pay the money after the job was complete. Even if the village couldn't fund it in the end, Sunagakure had been eyeing the territory as a potential trade route for years, and having the Daimyo in their debt would assure that came to fruition.

They crossed one last bridge and stopped at the guarded temple's entrance. Two rogues stood at the gateway and both chose to stand as the group approached. "Oi," slurred the first one through missing teeth, "what'sa bunch o' you's doin' 'ere, 'nyway? We now rule th's 'ere land." Both men held sabres and wore chainmail shirts, which only protected the torso area. This would be too easy.

The white-haired boy made short work of them. Both guards dropped like flies. Senbon needles stuck out their necks. They hadn't even had the chance to scream.

"So," the woman said quietly, "attack formation B."

The other three nodded and the henge was dropped. The albino turned into Sasori, and the other three transformed into the rest of Team Blooming Storm. The redhead unclipped the puppet from the 'borrowed' caravan and pulled the robe from it to reveal his creation to the world.

Salamander had been based on the people of Amegakure and their leader 'Hanzo of the Salamander'. Salamander, like the other two puppets in the series, had three eyes and a defensive mask on its back that resembled Hanzo's demonic face.

"Okay," whispered Misaki, "kill all bandits, keep civilian casualties to a minimum, and make sure the Daimyo and his family aren't killed." They all nodded and she gave the signal to move out.

Salamander slammed against the doors. They broke down without much resistance and the Shinobi dashed inside the compound. The group was immediately met by four more rogues, but these guys didn't even wear armour. Sasori opened Salamander's jaws and activated the flamethrower inside. Dark shadows fell across the battlefield. Two bandits were immediately burnt to a crisp, but the others escaped only somewhat singed.

Yashamaru bit down on his thumb and drew a line of blood across his fingers. "Summoning!" The Genin placed his palm flat on the ground and ink seals sprawled across the cobblestones.

A puff of smoke clouded the air and it cleared to reveal two monstrous coyotes from within. The creatures both wore silver helmets, with one possessing frontal facing spikes and the other's spikes turned skyward. Each bore the symbol of Sunagakure proudly. Their family apparently had a knack for summoning. Yashamaru whistled and the coyotes instantly lunged at the first remaining rogue. They viciously ripped him apart while he screamed for mercy.

The other rogue made a move to run, but Misaki Sensei decided it was time for her to act. She drew the golden staff from her back and activated the chakra seals on its blade as she leapt into the air. The Jonin swung the staff downwards and neatly cleaved the bandit in two. Blood splayed in all directions as the two halves furrowed to the ground. The blood was dispelled from Misaki's Golden Thunder Staff, leaving both blade and wielder completely clean. "Okay then," she said with a smile, "Sasori and Yashamaru go that way, Karura, you'll be with me." The two males moved to the right and the two females went left without any further prompting required.

The redhead left Salamander where it was, deciding the puppet was too large to go any further. Besides, he had plenty of others he wanted to try. Sasori drew two scrolls from his flak jacket and activated them, summoning the remaining puppets from the series of three.

The first was called Crow: a humanoid puppet with three eyes, four arms, jagged teeth and spiky brown hair. The puppet held lots of hidden weapons, and its head was quite like his puppet Spit. Everything was detachable, and everything was deadly. Crow satirised those from the village of Konohagakure.

The last of the series was called Black Ant. The puppet had a bucket shaped head with three eyes, two long red horns, flat brown hair and a bulky jaw. It had six arms and its body was a snare. Each part of the puppet was detachable and deadly, just like Crow. Black Ant was made to ridicule the scum of Iwagakure.

Both puppets may have looked stupid and weird, but they were extremely dangerous in his hands.

Sasori and Yashamaru ran into another pair of rogues. The blond whistled again, and the coyotes attacked the closest enemy. The bandit's blade dug into their brindle fur, but their teeth and claws did not relent.

Sasori removed three of Crow's wrists and launched them at the other bandit. As they flew, each revealed a sharp blade at its core, but the bandit had no time to notice as one stabbed him in the neck. The others landed shortly after, but the first had finished the job. The man choked out a final sound and then dropped down dead.

Without wasting any more time, the Shinobi continued around the compound's border. They left a trail of blood as they went. Eventually they had circled half the complex and ran straight into Karura and Misaki. "How many?" asked Karura.

"Nine bandits for us."

"Eleven on our end," was Karura's reply. "We gotta check the main building for the hostages." They turned their eyes to the structure that loomed over them. It was beautifully ornate with painted paper doors and expertly carved columns. A scarlet ibis sat suavely on the roof, unaware of the Shinobi below or its impending fate. "Let's go."

They entered the building. The first room was void of enemies, but their challenge came in the form of four individual doors. "Split up!" Each Shinobi disappeared into a separate door.

For Sasori, the next room was also empty, except for a single large doorway. He continued through, but the next room was different.

Misaki Sensei was already there, locked in combat with four rogues. The sliced remains of two additional bandits already dirtied the floor, and another joined the filth with yet another swing from Misaki's staff.

She noticed Sasori's presence and sneered, clearly deciding to kick things up a notch. Misaki threw her staff into the air and made several quick hand signs. "Lightening and Wind Release: Twirling Lightning Storm." A boom of thunder pounded the air. Misaki grabbed her staff before it hit the ground and spun the weapon furiously until it became a blur in her hands. Was she going to finally do away with him? Should he kill her before she had the chance? "Sasori," she yelled, "stay where you are!"

The redhead didn't nod. He knew what her real orders were: _stay still_. He dropped the threads on his puppets but didn't flinch as they hit the hard wooden floor. He shut his eyes and focused on holding his breath.

There was a burst of light against his eyelids and a crackle in the air. When he finally breathed, all he could smell was burned flesh, and he finally deemed it safe enough to open his eyes.

The charred bodies littered the floor with traces of electricity still crackling off Misaki's staff. He retook control of his puppets. Sasori and his Sensei shared a silent look before they faced the final door and together they barged into the last room of the compound.

The Daimyo of the Land of Birds sat tied in the middle of the room. To the left was a tiny cage with a single child sniffling inside. Sasori and Misaki glanced around for the remaining child until their eyes landed on the other figure. There stood a tall man with slicked blue hair and a Takigakure headband, the symbol slashed out poorly by three diagonal lines. The man grinned widely at the two Sunagakure Shinobi and in his arms was Owashi's missing child. "Why hello there~!"

"Let go of the kid," Misaki ordered as she pointed the blade of her staff at him. "If you do, I can promise a swift death."

The man chuckled and bounced the terrified child tenderly in his arms. "Oh, you wish … I've noticed your little killing spree, but you Shinobi would never risk a child's life." He grinned at them, a knowing gleam in his eyes.

"Shinobi are warriors," Sasori said evenly, his eyes never leaving the man. The two puppets twitched at his sides.

The man was taken aback as a nervous laugh escaped him. "You're bluffing! You wouldn't dare risk the life of this kid ... Your mission is to save it."

"Saving two out of three hostages is still a success." In one swift movement, the redhead's puppets flew at the man. He instinctively released the child to reach for his sword, but the weapon couldn't help him now. Crow swooped in and plucked the child from the air and placed it in Misaki's care. Meanwhile, Black Ant's cloak parted as it opened its body to swallow the man whole. Beneath the cloak is was shaped like a large barrel and could easily accommodate the adult's entire body. With its prey captured, the puppet settled on the floor, and no matter how hard the man inside swung his sword or banged on the wood, it refused to open.

With the child out of harm's way, Crow flew into the air. Sasori shot his Sensei a look and impatiently waited for the go ahead. In reply, Misaki Satomi ominously grinned and shielded the child's face from the expected sight.

A cruel smirk curved Sasori's face and his eyes gleamed with something sinister and not altogether sane. He tugged on Crow's chakra threads and the puppet's limbs easily came apart. From the end of each appendage emerged a pointed blade.

His helpless prey cried for mercy, but his pleas fell onto deaf ears. All Sasori could hear was his own heart hammering in his chest as excitement welled up inside. It was time to perform his cruellest show to date. "Secret Red Technique: Iron Maiden."

* * *

Dear Reader,

Thanks to Keono for the review, love you girl!

Not much to really discuss with this chapter. Salamander, Crow and Black Ant finally get some screen time! Yay!

By the way, I'm actually writing an original novel and I'm planning to publish it on Amazon in March this year (2019). It's very tonally different to this story as it's more of a comedy, but it features a range of LGBTQIA+ characters, an ex-villain protagonist, a subversion of the typical defeat-the-evil-demon-king-and-his-evil-generals plotline, and somehow features the gem of a line: "Besides, you can find out a lot about someone by licking them."

Want to find out the context? Find out in March (hopefully, I'll keep you updated!)

Don't forget to review/comment/kudos/kiss-your-pets!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	9. Wounds to the Heart

As White as Blood

Chapter Nine

Wounds to the Heart

"Secret Red Technique: Iron Maiden." As soon as the words were uttered, the room turned cold.

Crow's unattached blades were flung at Black Ant and grotesquely slid into the slits of the barrel. This was paired with the sickening sound of puncturing flesh. The man released one bloodcurdling scream, but this was cut off by his death. Blood dribbled out the base of the barrel, slowly and sluggishly seeping into the wooden floor.

At that point, Karura and Yashamaru reached the room and evaluated the situation. The girl instantly relaxed, but it took her brother a while longer to realise everything was okay. "Mission accomplished?" he apprehensively asked.

Karura dashed to the cage to free the locked child, while Misaki handed the other child to Yashamaru, as if she couldn't bear to hold the innocent thing. Yashamaru cradled the sobbing child tenderly and made shushing noises while the Jonin checked on Owashi. She returned her staff to her back and used a simple kunai to cut through the restrictive ropes that bound the man.

Sasori separated the segments of Crow from Black Ant and mumbled slightly in distaste as he reformed the puppet. "Got to clean the blades as soon as possible or else they'll go dull."

Owashi stood up, free from his bindings, and the Daimyo was quick to thank Misaki Sensei for saving them. Yashamaru and Karura stood smiling with the fellow twins in their arms. The redheadwas baffled by the oddly symmetrical sight and had to shake his head to clear it as he returned his attention to his puppets. He flicked a finger and Black Ant snapped open. The corpse of the bandit leader toppled out, complete with disfigured flesh and a face grotesquely distorted.

Sasori unprofessionally poked the body with his toe, nudging it with little interest. With no further use for them, he sealed Black Ant and Crow away and went to check up on the two sets of twins.

"Awww, they're so cute!" gushed Karura as she nuzzled the baby in her arms. "Look Sasori, aren't babies adorable?" She forced the child into his arms and he instantly shoved it back.

"Keep that thing away from me," he snapped, horrified.

She wasn't the least bit offended. In fact, Karura laughed at his discomfort. "Awww, don't you want our children to be this cute?"

Sasori and Yashamaru both stared at her. The redhead had never thought about his future like that. He didn't dream about getting married, having children, or anything as such. Sasori was a Shinobi: he could die any day, so what was the use in harming others with his death?

He planned to leave only his puppets when he was gone.

"I'm just messing!" Karura laughed and turned to her brother, "What's with that look, Yasha? You want Saso too? Well, you're gonna have to fight me for him!"

Yashamaru went red with horror. "K-Karura! It's not like that!"

"We ain't sharing a boyfriend, Yasha, not even if we're twins!"

Before Sasori could add his own opinion on the matter, Misaki Sensei called his name. He turned and obeyed her motion to approach her and Owashi. The two still towered over him, but he was growing taller every day.

"I need you to heal the Daimyo's wounds," muttered Misaki in a softer voice than usual. "I've never been interested in being a medical-nin, so…"

Sasori felt strangely warm inside. There was no hatred in her eyes, only newfound satisfaction in her team. He had to force himself to remain stoic. "Of course, Sensei."

"Good," she said as she patted him on the back and left to evaluate the health of the twins.

The Daimyo offered Sasori a small, tired smile. "For a Jonin to ask for help from one so young," Owashi said, "means she must be very proud of your skills." The man removed his bloodied shirt. His body was covered in numerous wounds that required Sasori's immediate attention.

He placed his hands against the worst laceration on the man's back and set about pumping healing chakra into it. He could feel the skin and flesh as it stitched itself together. The technique Sasori used was different to the common Mystical Palm healing technique and he'd eventually dubbed it the Tender Touch technique. It didn't soothe the pain, but it healed it quicker and that was all he cared about. Sasori closed his eyes in concentration and soon moved his hands to heal the next wound.

-x-

The three eleven-year-olds went to retrieve Salamander from the front gate while Misaki discussed payment with the Daimyo. Sasori's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the looming figure admiring his puppet, and his eyes only widened further once he realised who it was. The man met their gaze and offered them his trademark contradictory grin. "My," he said in a low gravelly voice, "I'd recognize this skilled craftsmanship anywhere! It's good to see you again, Sasori and…Karura, was it?"

"Why're you here, Hiruko?" asked the redhead as he thought back on his first ever mission.

"My," the large man said, "Sky and I were travelling around the place. We heard there were some bandits about, so I thought we might've been able to help… But it seems you've got it all worked out already." Hiruko looked to Yashamaru and gazed between him and Karura a few times. "Twins, aye? That's a sight you don't see every day! But where's Daichi?" Sasori was silent. Karura shook her head. "…You wanted to become Chunin?" They didn't respond. "What a shame… But what 'bout the two of you? You still Genin?"

"We gave them a choice," Sasori said stoically.

Hiruko's small eyes scanned the two Chunin and a strange knowing look appeared. "So, you killed others who wanted to become Chunin?" Sasori and Karura nodded unashamedly, but Hiruko was grave. "My, Sunagakure is ruthless. What 'bout you? What's your name?"

"Yashamaru. I'm just a Genin, but they thought I'd suit their team."

"Is your Sensei alright?" They nodded in unison and the male's grin returned, "That's good then." They all heard a muffled bark as a familiar monster dog came bounding over to its master. In its teeth laden jaw hung the scarlet ibis, which had been on the roof only a short time ago. By the look of it the bird was already dead. Hiruko petted the dog, ruffling its pointed ears. "You lot remember Sky, right?"

Sasori and Karura nodded with slight distaste, while Yashamaru eyed the beast intently. He'd heard all about the monster dog from his sister. Despite once nearly being mauled by it, Karura whistled and encouraged the dog to approach them. It blinked its small eyes and confidently strode over to join the three young Shinobi.

Karura held out her hand for the dog to sniff and then confidently pet it. This time it didn't attack. The dog was probably about seven now, but it hadn't grown significantly larger since they'd seen it three years ago. Sasori and Karura, on the other hand, had. Sky was now the same height as the Chunin, although its long ears made the pooch slightly taller.

Sky wagged its tail with contentment and dropped the dead ibis at their feet. Sasori eyed the dead bird thoughtfully before he attached puppets strings to it. He made the corpse stand up and forced it to strut around, catching the playful dog's attention. It barked, completely stupefied, but took chase moments later.

The bird skilfully evaded the dog's jaws, until Sasori grew bored of the sight and let the canine catch it.

"My, that's an interesting Jutsu." Hiruko raised an eyebrow at it. Sasori released the puppet strings and Sky attacked the dead thing, blood staining the bird's already crimson feathers. "Can you control anything living?"

"Insects and mice." It had taken a lot of practice to reach that level of control, and he couldn't even comprehend how impossible it would be to control living humans with the technique. Perhaps Chiyo knew how, but it wasn't a conversation he was interested in having with her, especially if it would be through one of her messengers. Sasori wouldn't give up that easily, however. "I can control things better if they're weaker, and easily if they're dead."

"My, that sounds very handy…" Hiruko laughed haughtily. "No pun intended."

"Oh, hello Hiruko," Misaki Sensei called out as she felt the compound, a bag of ryo attached to her belt. "I'm sure you're in the middle of a regaling conversation, but unfortunately my squad and I must be off."

"Of course, Ms. Satomi, I won't hold you up."

Sasori sealed Salamander away in his scroll and decided to leave the caravan for the true owner to find it. Hiruko ruffled Sasori's hair as if he were still only seven years old, but the redhead was surprisingly okay with the touch. "My, I do hope I see you again." The man eerily grinned at the Jonin, the twins, and at the red headed boy who would murder him in four short years.

-x-

Sasori planned to visit his Den to continue work on some diagrams, but just as he was exiting the gates of Sunagakure he was stopped by Yashamaru. "Sasori! Wait up!"

Annoyance stirred in his chest, but he didn't let it show. "Yashamaru?"

"I want to become a medical-nin like you..." The blonde physically swallowed his pride. "Please teach me."

Sasori blinked at the boy, completely thrown by the strange request. "There're better medical-nin who'll be happy to have a pupil." Sasori was about to leave again when Yashamaru actually bowed.

"Please!" he begged, his face completely red. "I want you to be my master!" The boy was serious.

He'd struck a chord with that title. Master? He liked that title…he liked it a lot.

Sasori sighed in defeat. "Very well, I'll take you to my Den, but the place is secret, so you gotta wear a blindfold."

Yashamaru looked ready to change his mind, but his determination must have overruled his caution. "Yes, master."

-x-

As soon as they entered the Den, two toxic leaves shot out at the blindfolded blond. Sasori shoved his teammate to the side to avoid the attack and he was in front of Asuko in seconds. The plant made several peculiar beeping sounds, as if it were raising an alarm, but Sasori managed to calm her with a few soothing words. Once he was sure she was no longer a threat, he turned back to Yashamaru.

The blond was sprawled on the ground, a kunai already in hand although he hadn't removed the blindfold yet. His face was red for some reason.

"My plant doesn't like strangers," murmured Sasori at last, somewhat distracted by the sight. Yashamaru looked so helpless… "Take off the blindfold."

The blonde removed his Sunagakure headband from over his eyes and put the kunai away as he stood. His interest moved from Sasori to Sasori's domain as he took in every detail of the place. There were two workbenches, a sleeping bag, electric lights on the walls, a small generator, tools for puppet making, a bunch of scrolls in a pile, some small cages, an empty cell and the vicious plant. "When did you make this?"

"A long time ago." He shrugged and kept stroking his potted pet. "Karura knows about it, so I guess you're the third."

"What's…with the blood?" The redhead followed Yashamaru's gaze. Daichi's blood still stained the stone.

Sasori opened one of the small cages. "I became a Chunin." From inside, the redhead pulled a thin rat. "You want to learn medical skills? Very well." Sasori placed the rat on one of the workbenches and held it down with chakra strings. "Let's start with some basics."

Yashamaru sat down at the bench, his eyes focused on the captive rat. "This is the Mystic Palm Technique." Without further to do, Sasori picked up a knife and cruelly removed the rat's tail.

-x-

"Almost any wound can be healed, Yashamaru, even headaches can be cured with the right medicine," he said while feeding rodent chunks to his pet plant. Sasori had inevitably wounded the creature too much and Yashamaru had been unable to heal it in time, so Sasori had cut the creature into pieces for his hungry plant. Yashamaru was only mildly revolted by the act. He knew what he'd signed up for.

"Well," quietly countered Yashamaru, "some wounds are impossible to heal, and some medicines are unreachable…" Yashamaru sheepishly scratched the back of his head, choosing to look away from the gruesome sight. "Like a wound to the heart."

Sasori was only half listening. "A wound to the heart can be healed if a medical-nin acts quick enough. It depends on the situation, like which part of the heart is damaged, the bluntness of the blade, the skill of-"

"Not _that_ kind of wound, Sasori. Or, maybe you've never experienced a figurative wound to the heart before." The redhead stilled at the accusation. "But that's a good thing, isn't it? _Love_ is the only thing that can heal a wounded heart," his face was dusted red again, "and I can tell that's not what you're searching for."

Sasori finished feeding the plant and wiped the rat's blood onto an already bloody rag. "Love?" he questioned with a reminiscent expression. He tried to grasp the emotion, to comprehend it as he once had, but it was now lost to him. "Explain 'Love' to me. I'm no longer familiar with it…"

Yashamaru's expression was unreadable. "…Love…? Well…Love is…" He thought it over carefully before he continued. "Love is when you care for someone, when you feel devoted to them. You want them, even if you don't know how to tell them. It's when you treasure someone for years and years, even though you know they'll never understand your feelings…" He paused and exhaled. Something changed in him. "Love is loyalty, so love is sacrifice. Love is giving up someone you like because someone else you love wants them more. I love Karura, my sister, more than anything, so I want her happiness over mine. If there is someone we both liked…" He didn't look at Sasori. "I'd give up my chance so she could be happy. The ultimate form of love, however, is to give up your life to save someone else's. Love is the only thing that can cure a wounded heart, cause it's the only way a person can ever be truly happy."

Sasori still had no idea what Yashamaru was talking about. Why would someone give up their life to save another? If it were for a mission then that would make sense, but to do it without any official order? It just confused the redhead…

"My heart has been wounded," Sasori admitted, "on many occasions, but love isn't the only thing that can cure it." His hand mindlessly drifted to the pockets of his flak jacket. All his puppets were with him, each sealed in their rightful scroll, and the thought alone made him feel calm. "Maybe I don't want an undamaged heart." Sasori placed the rag back on the table. "That's the end of the session. We'll try again when we have time, Yashamaru."

…What was 'Love' again…? Whatever, it wasn't important.

-x-

12 Years Old

Sasori had figured it out. It seemed oh so easy now! He could really make a puppet out of a _human_.

He would skin the body, remove the entrails, place the heart aside, drain the blood to the last drop and then make a nice pair of glass eyes from the real ones. After he'd finish de-fleshing the skin, he'd dry it out, lay it on a table, reset the skeleton inside and add a few preservatives. Wood or porcelain could substitute for flesh.

To retain a person's chakra, Sasori would have to enhance the victim's heart so he could pump chakra through it to activate the corpse's Jutsu and Kekkei Genkai, so he would make a separate chest compartment for the heart and add some preservatives to it. Stitch up the skin, heal the wound and it would be perfect.

Now all Sasori needed was a test subject to try it on. But who to use? He couldn't kill anyone close to him or anyone whose disappearance could be linked back to him, but then a thought crossed his mind.

There were positives when you lived in such a harsh, unforgiving desert.

-x-

Sasori stalked beneath the barren wasteland inside his scorpion puppet, Roan. Weeks had passed with little success. The redhead surfaced for air, and when he opened the hatch he turned his gaze to the horizon.

A wall of darkness loomed beyond. An incoming sandstorm. A perfect opportunity to capture some poor lost souls. He closed Roan's hatch and dived back below the sands, continuing his search for his first victim.

-x-

After an hour of futile searching, the redhead had found nothing and no one. He sighed in annoyance, but knew he had plenty of time for his work. For now he would returned to his Den by following his own chakra trail. However, as he approached his lair, he noticed a foreign chakra signature coming from inside his cave.

Sasori surfaced Roan outside his hideout and used an arm to protect his eyes from the whipping sand as he resealed his puppet. With that accomplished, Sasori entered the safety of his Den to find two figures huddled together, surprised by his sudden appearance.

They must've been only Genin or Chunin, with headbands that depicted the Village Hidden in the Grass' symbol. They physically tensed at the sight of him, but a strange relief replaced this once they noticed his Sunagakure headband. He was a fellow Shinobi, there to rescue them.

Little did the Grass Shinobi know that by entering the cave, they had walked straight into the monster's Den.

* * *

Dear Reader,

Funnily enough, I originally debated making Yashamaru a love interest when I first wrote this back in 2011, but decided to forego it. However, I always pictured he had a tsundere crush on our favourite redhead, and looking back over it I felt it would make a nice little addition, especially to highlight the ideas of love, loyalty and sacrifice.

Poor Yasha will never get the guy, but they probably wouldn't have worked out anyway. Seriously though, SasoYasha needs a lot more love! I always imagined that if Sasori hadn't left (and been a complete sociopath) they probably would have at least dated at some point. Who knows…

In any case, still working on my original book, hopefully to release in March! A little snippet:

"You're interested in my backstory, right?"

She shrugged. "I'm interested in eating, sleeping, magic and taking down the Void King."

"But my backstory involves magic!"

"Oh, sorry!" she said while waving her hand. "I meant _cool_ magic."

Enjoy! Please Comment/Review/Bookmark/Kudos/Pass Go!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	10. A Human Guinea Pig

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Ten**

 **A Human Guinea Pig**

"Hello." Sasori smiled innocently at the two Kusagakure Shinobi. "I'm a Chunin from Sunagakure." This was going to be _fun_.

"Gosh, are we glad to see you!" the first boy exclaimed. "I'm Ichiro, and this is my teammate Jirou: we're Genin from Kusagakure. We were here with our squad, but we got separated in this blasted sandstorm."

"Well, you did the right thing by seeking shelter." Sasori prowled closer and added, "Sandstorms are dangerous. Even Suna Jonin wait them out."

"Why're you here?" the second Kusagakure Genin asked. He warily watched the redhead, never looking away. "You here to rescue us or wait out the storm?"

"Neither, actually." Sasori shrugged and moved closer to his prey, silently hoping they didn't notice the predatory glint in his muddy brown eyes. He wanted to laugh, but that would've been too obvious.

"Neither…?"

"I was hunting in the desert, but I didn't have any luck before the storm. This is my hideout, and it's just a lucky coincidence you two ended up here. You're _very_ lucky."

"This is your _hideout_?" The second Shinobi said, clearly unnerved. "Hunting what?"

Sasori held out his open palms. "Desert hares." Some of the tension vanished.

"Oh gosh, Jirou! The war is over!" Ichiro smacked his friend. "Sorry, my teammate isn't accustomed to peace yet."

"Don't worry, I forgive him." Without further ado, Sasori pulled a scroll from his Sunagakure jacket. Before the two Shinobi could react, Sasori summoned Cephalo. The nonopus appeared behind the Genin and dug its barbs into their flesh. Sasori's paralysing poison took instant effect.

The twelve-year-old finally laughed; the sound was sadistic and victorious. He attached chakra threads to the two helpless Genin and forced them to their feet, like flies caught in a web. The two Shinobi stared stiffly at Sasori, their eyes filled with horror.

"But really," he continued, "I don't think you'll ever forgive me."

-x-

Ichiro lay naked on Sasori's operating table, alive, although the Genin would soon wish otherwise. Even though Ichiro would die at some point during the operation, he would become _eternal_.

To live forever, one had to die first.

Sasori chose a scalpel from the rack. "You, Ichiro, are going to be my very first Human Puppet, and your friend will be my second. You should feel honoured. After today, you'll be together forever."

He paused, even though there'd be no reply from the paralysed boys, and then set to work. Sasori pressed the scalpel against the brunette's throat and sliced a neat line from his Adam's apple to his lower stomach. The captured boy couldn't even scream as he was cut open.

Sasori pulled back the Genin's skin to reveal the functioning organs within. Blood spurted everywhere. Sasori watched excitedly. He could feel the heat exuding from the boy and it felt oddly…pleasant.

One by one, he pulled out the unnecessary organs and dropped them carelessly onto a tarp. A choked gargle signified the end of Ichiro's torture and Sasori closed his eyes to focus on the sound. It was music to his ears. His heart raced while his future puppet's heart stopped altogether.

At last he opened his eyes and tenderly removed the heart from beneath his puppet's ribcage and it was placed beside Asuko for future use. The plant wasn't interested in the organ.

From his rack, Sasori removed a large butchers knife to aid in the severing of limbs. With one quick thud, Ichiro's neck was hacked in two. The brain would be the most irksome thing to remove without better equipment, but sometimes you just had to get your hands dirty.

-x-

The flesh was gone, and Sasori couldn't stop himself from marvelling his work thus far. On his workbench lay an empty skeleton. It had been a living boy only a few hours ago, but was now the base structure for his future creation. A pile of organs and flesh sat in a discarded bundle, along with a bucket brimming with blood. The skin should've dried by now.

Sasori had to finish adding the wooden and porcelain structures, and then he could assemble the joints. His puppet was coming along nicely. Wood and porcelain could be made temporarily flexible with chakra, making the process of fitting and filling in the human structure that much simpler.

Just a little more time…

-x-

Sasori rested his palm on the heart container and felt the faint chakra signature within, so different to his own. The thing made no sound. Well, of course it didn't, why would a puppet need a beating heart? He placed the finished container inside the puppet's chest and felt his lips twitch with delight. Even though the masterpiece had its own original heart, its mind now belonged to Sasori.

The worst was behind him as he inspected the puppet's head and stitched the skin back together. "Almost done," he told himself. He'd forgotten about the other Genin for now, but Sasori's poison kept him from escaping.

All he had to do now was heal the stitches to create a seamless look. Sasori used his Tender Touch technique to heal the wound he had created.

-x-

The redhead dressed the brand-new puppet in a handcrafted cloak and walked him around the cave. Sasori had learnt so much from Ichiro's creation, and even though he knew his first Human Puppet was far from perfect, Sasori knew he'd outdone himself with this first step. Ichiro was everything Sasori had hoped for and so much more.

He laughed with disgusting joy and felt his chest brim with warmth. Sasori wanted to make another.

His eyes crept to his remaining victim. Fresh material was already in reach. The paralysed Kusagakure Shinobi had been granted an amazing privilege. He had become the first person to witness his artificial perfection without the ability to look away. His eyedrop-moistened eyes were clouded, however. The sight had broken Jiro's mind.

Sasori picked up an empty scroll and sealed Ichiro inside, satisfied when it actually worked. "Well, aren't you privileged?" snickered Sasori with a cruel grin. A murderous gleam twinkled in his muddy eyes. Instead of a human, Sasori saw a blank canvas. "This is my art, and soon you'll be a part of it too. Soon, Jiro, you'll be eternal, and you'll never have to leave my side ever again."

-o-

There you have it, the story of my first human puppets. I almost wish I could tell you that you'd seen the worst of me, the most heinous monstrosities I've ever committed, but we still have twenty-three years to go. I may have been a sociopathic child, but just imagine me as an adult. Don't expect anything to improve: if anything, the worst is still to come.

After all, I have yet to earn my title: Sasori of the Red Sand.

Now then, do I regret my actions? Do I regret murdering those defenceless Genin? Do I regret flaying them, ripping out there organs and turning them into puppets? No. I'm still proud of what I accomplished that day. My art was finally realised, even if I was the only one to outlive it.

-o-

Sasori couldn't stop smiling. He admired his latest works of art as he walked them around his Den. They were bound to be his closest friends. His mood, however, was dampened once he noticed the mess of organs, clothes and blood, and the smell had only grown worse. He'd never be able to get rid of the smell. The redhead sighed at the chore and sealed his two human puppets into the same scroll.

The Den had optimal storage space, although from first glance it looked completely sparse. Sasori had filled the walls with small indents and holes, then covered each with a simple genjutsu wall, similar to the one he used to conceal the entrance at the end of the cave.

He placed the scroll inside one of said holes, knowing it best to leave his miracles in there for now, and then he set to work on clean up. The clothes were first on his agenda as he picked them up and carefully folded them. He didn't need to destroy them if he hid them well enough.

Both folded outfits were placed inside another shelf, each topped by a Kusagakure headband. Next was the blood, which thankfully he'd drained into several tin buckets, although they'd be hard to get rid of. Perhaps Asuko would enjoy them…

"Asuko," he said as he scooped up a handful of cold crimson, "open up." The flytrap opened her jaws at his request and Sasori poured a small amount of blood into her mouth. She clamped shut, as if to swallow, and happily beeped when Sasori offered her more. Second problem solved. He placed the buckets of blood beside her and watched as her stalk extended so she could reach. It was a strange sight, really, to see the plant hungrily lap up the liquid, but Sasori was only thankful as he moved onto the third task.

All that was left were the organs. Sasori summoned Turquoise to transport the heavy pile of entrails. He loaded the bundled tarps into the puppet's inner shell and guided it outside as he drew Salamander's scroll from a different pocket. The sandstorm was still at large, but Sasori could feel it fading with every moment. It would be no danger to him. He summoned Salamander and made Turquoise dump the organs onto the sand. Without any further use, Turquoise disappeared in a puff of smoke and Sasori opened Salamander's mighty jaws. The flamethrower activated and a burst of flame disintegrated the organs instantly. He'd need some new tarps.

The ashes blew away with the storm and Sasori sighed as he returned Salamander to its scroll. The job was finally done.

-x-

"We have a C-Rank mission," Misaki Sensei told Team Blooming Storm as she ran a hand through her short hair. Her smile was replaced by a disinterested sneer. A C-Rank mission was below them. "A squad of Kusa-Nin were arriving yesterday for a mission, but they got hit by a sandstorm. Two Genin were separated from the team, so now they've hired us to find them." Misaki went over their descriptions, listing off details that fit Sasori's two new puppets perfectly.

-x-

"Okay, Karura and Sasori, you go that way. Yashamaru, we're going in this direction." They instantly split, with the two Chunin heading northeast towards Sasori's Den.

They ran at top speeds. Karura was focused intently, her eyes scouting in every direction as she searched for chakra signals, while Sasori knew she'd never find anything. "Karura, there's something I want to show you."

"Sasori, we're on a _mission_ right now! We can compare breast sizes later!"

Sasori shot her an unimpressed look, "That's not what I meant! This has nothing to do with puberty…" Why did his face feel so hot? Right, it must've been the desert heat. "Besides, you're as flat as a five-year-old!" Karura stuck her tongue out, an amused glint in her eyes, as if she knew something he didn't.

Puberty was a bitch.

"We need to go to my Den. I _know_ where the missing Genin are."

-x-

Sasori brought Karura to his Den without any further argument. Unlike Yashamaru, Asuko had always been accepting of her, perhaps since Karura had visited the Den since the plant was still young. In either case, the plant was too busy gorging itself on blood to pay her any attention.

He didn't need to debate with himself about whether he would or wouldn't show Karura his puppets. She always admired his creations, so of course it wouldn't be any different with his latest masterpieces. He summoned them and made the two human puppets stand at his sides. Their feet hung off the ground, supported by Sasori's invisible strings.

"What do you think?" he asked. His heart raced just at the sight of them. They were so perfect.

Karura's eyes widened as she took in every detail of his creations. "Sasori…" Her face blossomed into complete awe, "They're _amazing_!" Her teal eyes sparkled as she stepped forward to inspect them.

"They're _human_ puppets," he explained, wanting to ensure she understood the complete scope of his art.

She nodded, "I can tell. I can feel the chakra from them, very faintly, but I know yours so well I can tell they're different." Karura ran her fingers over their carefully carved faces. "You're amazing, Sasori." He'd been right to not doubt her loyalty.

"They're the Kusa-nin we're supposed to find."

-x-

"Unfortunately, the desert we call our home has claimed two more victims." Misaki handed the two Kusagakure headbands to the Grass Village Jonin. The man took them and looked at the group questioningly. Misaki continued, "My squad found these in desert wolf territory. They've been known to gang up and kill unwary travellers, especially during this time of year."

The Kusagakure Jonin nodded solemnly and said, "Thank you for your help, Misaki Satomi." He handed her a small bag of ryo and placed the two headbands into his bag. The last Genin of his team stood behind him, forlornly clutching the hem of her shirt. Sasori watched her calmly. If the Kusagakure Chunin test was anything like Sunagakure's, this was mercy.

-x-

Puberty sucked and Sasori hated being human.

His voice cracked, and he kept having dreams he wished he could simply dismiss. Sasori shook his head to clear it, ultimately annoyed by the whole damn situation.

That wasn't even the worst of it! The redhead now noticed Karura more and more, and not for the reasons he wanted. Her hips were widening, she'd lost her puppy fat, and even the blonde's chest was getting…larger. Sometimes Sasori just couldn't keep his eyes off her for all the wrong reasons, and he was absolutely appalled by himself.

Puberty sucked, and Sasori just wanted it to die a painful death.

The redhead walked into his Den with Roan trailing behind him. As soon as it was opened, the family of three fell to his floor, unmoving. Two were adults, probably Jonin since they'd been an absolute pain to poison, and the third was their small daughter. She was probably only four years old, so he hadn't killed her. He hadn't even needed to waste any poison on her either, just a quick blow to the head had knocked her unconscious. Sasori was already in a foul mood, but this made it all the bitterer.

What the hell was he supposed to do with a four-year-old girl? She'd be a _useless_ puppet, and he was determined to work on enhancing the quality of his collection.

Sasori was thankful he'd built the small cell into his Den. At least he had somewhere to keep the little aneurism while he dealt with her parents. He opened the cell and slung the worthless child inside without care or grace.

If he'd known the two Jonin had had a child with them then he wouldn't have bothered. Not because of any moral reasoning, of course, just because the two Jonin had been _harder_ to bring down with that stupid parental instinct. Sasori would have to reattach four of Cephalo's arms, add new spikes to Turquoise, and give Roan a paint job as the puppet didn't currently live up to its name.

He sighed and slammed the barred door shut as the automatic locks fell into place. Sasori picked the woman up first. He struggled to pull her paralysed body onto the operating table, so in the end it was just easier to make her do it with chakra threads. The redhead sighed with relief and was about to set to work when he stopped…Oh fuck.

His face grew hot. He would have to see the woman's naked body, and his hormones seemed a little TOO excited by the prospect.

Sasori shook his head to clear it and even slapped himself a few times. Stupid hormones, stupid dreams, stupid _everything_! He had to calm down…

This woman was just another empty canvas: something that needed the redhead to mould it into something worthwhile. It wasn't art right now, and therefore it was beneath him. Sasori exhaled calmly and swallowed what want he possessed. He calmly undressed the conscious woman and she was powerless to stop the young mastermind.

Even as he touched her foreign feminine features, Sasori Yoshiko felt nothing.

-x-

The redhead had almost finished scrapping the flesh from the skin when Asuko suddenly hissed. Sasori heeded the warning. He ducked down low and spun around to face his attacker.

The male Jonin had managed to stand, even though half of his body was still paralysed. Dammit! Why hadn't he injected him with another dose? The Jonin reached for his weapon's pouch with his one working arm, but in a flash the fight was over.

Two of Asuko's leaves shot out to protect her master. One had brushed against the Jonin's face while the other had reached his arm, but then Asuko had retracted her leaves with a satisfied snarl. The man was caught between a gargle and a scream as he collapsed. His lips frothed with yellow foam and his muscles spasmed inhumanly, as if insects crawled beneath the Jonin's skin. Several disturbing seconds passed, and the man soon stopped moving altogether.

Sasori stared at the sight and felt the need to look away. He instead turned to the wall where two kunai stuck out the stone. If Sasori hadn't automatically dodged, he would've been on the receiving end of both knives.

The redhead returned his attention to the dead body and moved to investigate. He pressed his foot against the man's chest, but of course he didn't stir. The man's face was malformed into a grotesque beast. It even made Sasori somewhat disgusted. Across his arm and face, an angry red rash had broken out and even now was spreading across the fresh cadaver.

"Odd…" Sasori murmured as he checked up on his plant. He offered Asuko his hand and she lovingly nuzzled her master's palm. "Either you can choose to make your toxins deadly… Or feeding you blood increases the toxicity. I hope it's the first. I don't know if my antidote would still work." Sasori hummed in thought and finished petting Asuko. It was time to get back to work on his third human puppet.

-x-

The redhead was feeling a lot cheerier. He'd completed both puppets and he'd already cleaned up his Den. Asuko happily lapped up the fresh pails of blood, and even Sasori admitted his loyal plant deserved the treat.

A soft groan signified the child's awakening. Sasori frowned at the disturbance. "Mama…? Dada…?" To be honest, he'd completely forgotten about the little annoyance. Sasori approached the bars and allowed the child to get a good look at him. The four-year-old did just that, yet she was clearly dazed and unadjusted to the odd lighting of the Den. "Who you?" she whimpered.

The redhead crossed his arms and took advantage of the ceiling lights to inspect the child's appearance. Her eyes were brown, like Sasori's, and she had green hair tied up in a once neat bun. Two orange bangs framed her face. "I am Sasori," he answered simply. "Tell me your name, child."

The little girl blinked her muddy eyes. She looked like a drunkard. "Name…?" she asked quietly. Instead of an immediate answer, she curled up on the floor with the clear intention of sleeping. "Name…can't…" She shook her head, not even knowing the words to tell him all she had forgotten. The little orphan closed her eyes and instantly slept, letting the problems of her small world disappear into unconsciousness.

Sasori frowned in distaste. "I hit her too hard," he confessed to himself. "Fine then, from now on you'll be my guinea pig. Nevertheless, even a living puppet needs a name. So, from now on, you'll be…" The redhead mulled it over, thought of his best friend who actually _liked_ babies, and clicked his fingers once it was decided. "You'll be called Pakura."

* * *

Dear Reader,

My first original work is now published on Amazon! 'The Hero of Hammersey' is book one in the Lucas March Cycle, and is now available as an ebook worldwide for like $2.99 USD (or free on Kindle Unlimited). I'll put the plot description here so please give it a read, and please support me if it sounds like your taste:

 _Lucas March has never been a hero before, but when his twin brother goes missing Lucas must take up the mantle and rescue the Hero of Hammersey from the clutches of the evil Void King before it's too late._

 _He journeys to the island of Eastound and teams up with two unlikely adventurers: Euphemia Fangsong, a powerful mage with a peculiar constraint on her magic, and Pierce, a mysterious man who can't keep his eyes off Lucas! Whatever Lucas was expecting from his first heroic exploit, it was NOT this!_

 _Nevertheless, to face the feared Void King, Lucas and company must first defeat all three of his equally evil Generals, but how're they supposed to do that without a sword, an army or a plan? Utter chaos ensues. Lucas will have to learn to trust those around him, and must come to terms with his own dark past if he is to save the Hero of Hammersey and all of Eastound._

 _Only one thing is for certain: this is the stupidest thing Lucas March has ever done!_

This work features LGBTQIA+ characters, odd humour, inverted tropes, and asks how people are shaped by their choices and the choices of others.

Tonally it's _very_ different to Sasori's life story as it is more comedy-centred, but I'd still appreciate the support if you're interested! Thank you, you guys mean the world to me!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy (K.R. Wilson)


	11. The Third Shinobi World War

**As White as Blood**

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **The Third Shinobi World War**

 **Thirteen Years Old**

"Master Sasori…?" The redhead had been busy reading a scroll about creatures called Bijuu - or tailed beasts - until the girl distracted him.

He sighed as he pulled himself away from it and turned to face the cell door. "What, Pakura? I'm busy."

The five-year-old stood up and shuffled to the front of the cell, her young features looking haggard and pale. His little personal pet, or rather his human guinea pig. "Water?"

The redhead sighed as he got up and fetched the requested water from a small tank he'd 'borrowed' from a lost caravan he'd stumbled on in the desert several months back. He filled up two wooden bowls and offered one to her through the bars. She took it and downed the water without any show of gratitude, but he let it slide. Sasori really spoiled her sometimes.

"Is the antidote working? Do you still feel the pain?"

Pakura looked up at the redhead and shook her head in a dizzying display. "Nothing." Sasori put his hand between the bars and painfully pinched her pale cheek until an angry bruise formed, but she didn't react at all. He released the now-purple flesh. "Nothing."

"Potent," he said, mostly to himself. Even if it didn't work as an antidote, a pain-reliever had its own value. Pakura held the bowl out to him and he swapped it with the full one, having guessed just how thirsty she was if she'd been willing to distract him from his work to ask. She downed it instantly and he watched the bruise spread further across her fatigued face. "Well, if you're still alive tomorrow we'll know it was an antidote as well, and if you're dead it'll make a decent painkiller."

She silently returned the empty bowl and wandered to the back of her cell, where she took to cuddling the small doll Karura had forced Sasori to make for her. He didn't want to spoil the kid, and making a stupid doll without any hidden weapons or features seriously undermined his crafting capabilities, but it was hard to say no to Karura when she was in a mood. Sasori just convinced himself it was a reward for the child, who'd successfully survived as his spoiled little guinea pig for an entire year.

He took his wooden rack of vials and found an empty cave shelf to store it, while he made a mental note of the clear liquid's location. After completing the short task, the thirteen-year-old returned to his worktable and resumed his reading on the Bijuu.

-x-

His granny was waiting for him in the kitchen with a boy of about Sasori's age at her side. "Sasori," she said as he entered, "this is Komushi. He'll be our messenger from here on out."

"Hey Sasori!" said the young man enthusiastically. He had short brown hair and his green eyes were too large for his face. Komushi wore a shinobi headband, but since Sasori had never seen him before he guessed he was just a Genin. Pathetic.

Sasori blatantly ignored him. "Granny, while you're here, can I ask you something?"

Chiyo's eyebrows narrowed in suspicion, but she had no reason to deny her grandson just yet. She turned to Komushi and waved her hand, "I'll tell you when you're needed."

"First day on the job and I've already got a break!" he said with a laugh. "Just call if you need anything. I look forward to working with you both!" He bowed at Chiyo, slapped Sasori on the arm disrespectfully, and rushed off. The redhead somehow kept himself from losing his mind at the simple touch, but if Chiyo hadn't been standing right beside him he wouldn't have been able to. He'd have to mentally prepare for this Komushi character.

"What do you need, Sasori?"

"Can you tell me about the Shukaku? I've heard rumours about it, but I've never been told the story. Someone as important as you _must_ know something about it." The woman looked genuinely unsure for a moment. Right, she _did_ know about it, but if she was this conflicted it meant she knew something normal civilians weren't supposed to. He forced a polite smile, and she was unable to deny him.

"Take a seat." Sasori and Chiyo sat down at the kitchen table, something that rarely happened anymore, and a delicate sense of importance hung in the air. "The Shukaku is a beast known as a Bijuu. Very few know what it actually is, and the tale of how it came to be is shrouded in mystery. The usual story is of a Sunagakure Priest who was reincarnated as the Shukaku, but this story is only somewhat true. The Priest was named Bunpuku, but the Shukaku existed even before him, although he was the first human host. With the beast's power, he was feared by everyone. He was locked away under tight guard, but the Second Kazekage soon realised he was too powerful to be left alive, so the Bijuu was removed from the priest. The Shukaku was sealed away inside a tea kettle, and Bunpuku died without it. Soon the Second Kazekage became obsessed with the power the beast offered, so he sealed Shukaku into his eldest daughter in hopes of creating a weapon to protect the village."

She paused briefly to let the story sink in. The second Kazekage had been a man called Shamon, who'd also been the pivotal reason the Puppet Brigade was still in existence in the military. As a man hellbent on strengthening the village, it was fitting that he'd become obsessed with the Bijuu.

"His daughter was fine at first, even if she did grow distant from the rest of the village, but after her father was assassinated she went insane. One night she lost herself entirely and Shukaku took over. The village was almost destroyed, but a man by the name of Jishaku Satetsu rose against the beast. He created a Jutsu akin to the Shukaku's with his magnetic chakra and named it Iron Sand. With this technique, he saved all of Sunagakure. Jishaku ordered the Shukaku sealed inside the tea kettle once more and I was the one who did it."

"Jishaku Satetsu? Why don't I know him?"

"Oh, you do." Chiyo smiled knowingly at her grandson. "You see, Sunagakure was in need of a new leader." The redhead realised what she was hinting at, but she clarified anyway. "So, Jishaku Satetsu became the Third Kazekage."

He was surprised he'd never heard the story before. Of course, Sasori had never met the Third, as a lowly Chunin had no right to stand before such a rank without summons, but everyone knew of the Third Kazekage's strength. "What became of the Shukaku?"

"He is still sealed inside that tea kettle, and the only one who knows where Shukaku resides now is the Third Kazekage."

"What happened to the girl after the Shukaku was removed?"

"She died." The redhead eyed the wall as he imagined the sacrifice. A Kazekage willing to risk his own daughter for power was nothing new. What would it be like to have control over such raw strength? "To prevent the host from turning traitor against the village, the 'Jinchuriki' is usually selected from the family of the village's own Kage."

Sasori imagined the scene of the demon and Third Kazekage fighting, and a peculiar sense of pride swept through. "Is the Third Kazekage really that powerful?"

Her expression became gravely serious. "Sasori, the Third is the strongest Kazekage we have ever had, and his Iron Sand technique, once capable of taking down the Shukaku demon, is the most feared weapon in the history of Sunagakure."

Sasori swallowed and the sense of pride grew, although with it also came a surge of fear. If he ever came face to face with such a formidable foe, he would surely be killed without mercy. He had to be careful, or else…

-x-

"No sky, Asuko! Huh? Where?"

Sasori rubbed his temples, but the girl continued to prattle on without noticing his growing annoyance.

"Liar, Asuko. No bird! Dolly says no!" Pakura was hallucinating again. The redhead had given her another antidote for his latest poison, but the side effects were hell (for him, anyway). "Really?" she asked the plant. "Wow, you're right! Karura!"

Sasori groaned and was about to go inside her cell and knock her unconscious, but he was interrupted by his plant happily barking. Sasori turned to face the entrance of his Den and allowed himself to relax once he recognised the intruder.

"Hey," Karura said with a smile as she traipsed to his side, "I brought you some fruit! If you keep yourself cooped up in here for long periods of time you'll end up insane."

"I've got to find some place to get away from that Komushi messenger Chiyo hired." Sasori's nose twitched. "And if Pakura would kindly shut up as well then I'd be a lot saner." He rolled his eyes and sighed as he closed the scroll he'd been _trying_ to read.

Karura rolled her eyes and went to the cage to offer the young girl a bright smile. "Hey Pakura, how're you today?" The five-year-old ranted about how she, Asuko and Dolly had been arguing. Apparently the plant had told her there was a bird in the cave. Karura feigned interest. "Wow, Asuko's a liar, isn't she?" The five-year-old nodded honestly. "My mother always told me to never trust plants." The blonde grinned at the orphan and held an apple out for her. Pakura eagerly took it and ravenously ate the delicacy. Karura walked back over to the redhead and took the second seat beside him. "Poison or antidote?" She scrounged around in her bag and pulled out two more apples.

"The poison, but the antidote made her _louder_." He sighed in frustration but took the blood red fruit his best friend offered. "Another failure. The poison killed the rat I tested it on, but in the same amount of time it took to kill it, Pakura just started talking to Asuko." Sasori took a bite of the apple, humming as he shook his head. "It's frustrating."

"I bet," Karura said as she bit into her own apple. "So how many human puppets?"

Sasori swallowed the mouthful of fruit and said, "Seven, but I think the people are catching on. Fewer merchants are travelling alone through the desert…" He huffed and rotated the fruit in his hand so he could look it over. "But that's alright. I'd rather puppets of Shinobi than civilians. I have two Kusagakure Genin, two Sunagakure Jonin, two merchants and a Konohagakure Jonin."

"Wow, I still can't believe you've taken down three Jonin! Hell, you took down two at once!" She giggled and shot him an odd grin while batting her eyelashes slyly. " _That's really impressive_ ~"

Sasori's eye twitched slightly and he took another bite of his apple, but she didn't stop. He swallowed and uneasily asked, "Are you flirting with me?"

Karura giggled again and leaned closer, to which he responded by leaning away. "I'm _trying_ to," she purred and winked at him. He just stared, unsure of how to respond, but thankfully after a few too-close seconds she moved back in her seat. "Oh the look on your face! You're blushing!"

"Am not!" The redhead twitched again and turned his face away. "Shut up…"

"I'm just messing with you, Saso!" They sat in silence for a few almost-awkward minutes, while the void was filled with the sound of Pakura eating away at her apple and quietly whispering to her Dolly. Eventually, Karura said more seriously, "You know, ever since puberty, you look _really_ handsome…" She risked cupping the redhead's face with her rough hand, and Sasori let her examine him uneasily.

The girl was right. Sasori had lost his baby fat, just as Karura had, and his face grew more and more defined every week. His skin was pale, despite the desert sun, and he had gained some subtle muscles on his arms.

"You should stop wearing all that face paint though!" she said loudly while pinching his cheek, as if breaking some spell. "You wear it _all_ the time!" Karura laughed when Sasori just stuck his tongue out at her. "You're voice is super sexy as well~"

Sasori sneered and brushed her hand away, no longer willing to bear the touch. "Well you're exactly the same as when we were five, flatty." Lie. Karura stuck her tongue out at him and then finished off her apple.

The blonde changed the subject to one he hadn't expected. "What _really_ happened to your bracelet?" She motioned to the metal scorpion on his wrist. Karura was perfectly aware that it had originally belonged to the deceased Daichi.

Sasori thought back on the Iwagakure Chunin he had fought long ago: the original Asuko. Was she still alive? The redhead didn't really care. "I don't know."

Feeling unproductive, Sasori picked up the unfinished outfit he'd been making for his next inevitable puppet. The redhead took hold of the needle and thread and took to sewing, but Karura eyed him gracelessly. "Okay Sasor-inna, I think we need to talk about your 'hobby'. Only girls actually like sewing."

"You have no problems with me turning humans into puppets, but the moment I pick up a needle and thread to make a cloak you have concerns?"

"I can accept you being better than me at human-puppet-turning," she defended, "but not better than me at sewing, hotshot."

"So?" The redhead didn't take his eyes away from his fixating work, and if anything he only sewed faster. "How else am I supposed to dress my puppets? It's relaxing, and I make it manly." Karura rolled her eyes and Sasori continued to work. "Do you know the story of the Shukaku?"

"Where did _that_ come from?" She smirked at him and leaned back in her seat. "Something about a haunted tea kettle and a dodgy priest."

"Want to hear the story?" Karura shrugged, but the eager shimmer in her teal eyes gleamed slighter brighter.

"Story!" The five-year-old toddled to the front of her cell and sat herself down comfortably. She hugged the doll tightly and watched the redhead, smiling eagerly in anticipation.

-x-

Misaki stood in front of her squad, her expression unusually serious, although there was a spark of something sadistic behind it. It suited her more than a stupid smile. "The Third Shinobi World War has begun, and Sunagakure is a part of it." Their eyes widened simultaneously. "Sasori and Karura, the Third Kazekage wishes to see you in person."

The two Chunin nodded distastefully. Sasori felt a bead of sweat roll down his face at the mention of the Third, the strongest Shinobi to ever rule Sunagakure. As much as he hated the thought of war, all he could think about was coming face to face with the living monster who'd singlehandedly taken down a demon. If the man discovered the redhead's secrets, Sasori would be killed in an instant.

-x-

Sasori, Karura, and a few other Chunin stood in the Third Kazekage's office. It was round and decorated rather simply, although just standing in the room felt wrong to him. The man they'd come to see sat at his desk, his mannerisms exuding an aura that was both dignified and superior. Covering his spiky hair was a white and blue hat with the kanji for 'Wind' at its the centre.

"I am the Third Kazekage," he introduced curtly, although it was altogether unnecessary. His hands were neatly folded beneath his chin and he didn't bother to stand for the audience. "We are at war. Your squad leaders have deemed you worthy of advancing. For your efforts, I award you all the title of Jonin. Some of you will be sent to fight, others will remain in the Land of Wind to patrol the desert, and the rest will be given teams of Genin to mould. Is that clear?"

They all declared in unison, "Yes sir." As of now, Sasori and Karura were officially Jonin.

-x-

"I am no longer your teacher," said Misaki with a look of immense pride at her own two accomplishments. "We are, as of now, equals." She opened a scroll and read directly from it, "The Third Kazekage has assigned your tasks already. Karura, you have been assigned a group of three young Genin. Your job is to raise them into warriors, just as I raised you." Karura bowed her head. "And Sasori, the Third has assigned you the task of patrolling the desert. You are to kill any enemies of Sunagakure and protect our people." Sasori bowed his head too, but barely kept his shoulders from slumping with relief while Misaki closed the scroll. "I am happy for the both of you. Go forth and help our village," she smiled all too sweetly, "or die trying."

-x-

Sasori and Karura sat on the giant wall that surrounded their village, while the wind ruffled their hair like an old friend. "We're Jonin," said Karura, her voice disbelieving. The redhead watched the sun as it neared the horizon. "We're thirteen, but we're already adults."

"We're _not_ adults," he said quietly, "but we're not kids either. Face it, we were _never_ kids. They wanted soldiers." Sasori closed his eyes. It hadn't sunken in yet that he was now a Jonin. "And they got their wish."

The thirteen-year-olds let the sun wash over their childish faces. "You're right." Karura exhaled and leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder, her eyes dulled despite the bright glow of sunset. "Time goes too quickly. Yesterday we were born, tomorrow we'll be married with three children, and the day after we'll be dead." She exhaled again. "I want two boys and one girl, by the way."

"I don't even know when you're joking anymore." Sasori pushed his best friend off his shoulder. She laughed quietly and laid back on the warm rock wall, so Sasori did the same. They both watched as a single cloud hurried them by, an oddity in the dry desert.

"Have you ever thought about a future like that?" she asked softly. "Falling in love, getting married, settling down, having children, retiring, and finally dying at a ripe old age?" Sasori once again shut his eyes but didn't think about the woman beside him. Instead he thought about the job he'd been given for the war, of the art he'd continue the first chance he got.

"Never." The redhead twisted his lips into what could have been either a smile or a grimace. "Especially that last one. I'm going to live for an eternity." A thrill ran through him as he said it aloud.

Karura snorted. "As in forever? Wow, Saso, that's both stupid and… _so like you_. Face it, I'm going to win you sooner or later. Do you think our children will look like me or look like you? God, I hope they all have red hair, it looks unbelievably sexy."

Sasori sighed in irritation, but he still attached chakra threads to Karura's hand and pulled it into his own. Their fingers entwined. Sasori opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her while she did the same. They stared at each other with odd seriousness and the sun finally fell behind the horizon. The heat disappeared with the entrance of night. "Karura," he said softly, "can life stay like this forever?"

The blonde's smile was small and chaste, barely visible in the infant darkness. Her hold on his hand tightened. "I hope so, Sasori…" The wind had grown icy, the future bleak, but in that innocent promise they never noticed the chill. "I hope so."

Dear Reader,

Ever wanted to hear me rant on about SasoDei in a podcast format?

That's right, soon you'll be able to hear my (annoying) voice fangirling about SasoDei on the 10th episode of 'The Shipping (pod)cast'. It's a great series of interviews where each episode features a different ship and a different speaker, and I was honoured to be picked for the 10th episode by my good friend NeonCrayons! The episode releases on the 22nd of March (2019) and you can find the series on tumblr, fandomish, iTunes and podbean. Already there are some great episodes up about really great ships such as Jace and Alec, Holmes and Watson, and Bumbleby from RWBY! So if you're interested in hearing me rant about art as much as Sasori and Deidara do (and want to learn how annoying my voice actually is and my haphazard thought process), check it out on the 22nd of March!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	12. A Prideful Man

As White as Blood

Chapter Twelve

A Prideful Man

The Third Kazekage stood before the group of Jonin, just outside Sunagakure's tunnel-like entrance. Although Sasori stood with his head held high, he didn't recognise any of the other Shinobi, and at thirteen he was by far the youngest of them all. When the Third's eyes skirted over the group, he focused on the shortest figure for an uncomfortable length of time, and the redhead prayed he kept up an outward appearance of calm.

"I want you in twos," the Kazekage finally said, returning his eyes to the entire crowd. "Each pair will patrol and defend an area around the Land of Wind. If any enemy Shinobi enter your area, you are to exterminate them without mercy. If you have any issues, fire a signal flare and reinforcements will go to your location and help."

"But sir," said a man with dull auburn hair and a dedicated hardness in his eyes, "what of merchants and refugees?"

The Third Kazekage stared him down, but the brave man was unfazed. "Inspect their luggage, discuss their intentions for coming to the Land of Wind, the usual. If they have acceptable reasons for arriving, let them by. They'll be processed at the gates. If they lie or have unacceptable intentions, kill them. Is that clear?" They all mechanically declared 'Yes Sir' in response, even Sasori. "Good. Remember, while you are out there, the livelihood of our home is in your hands."

-x-

Sasori was paired with the determined man who'd spoken earlier and although he'd initially respected the man for having the courage to ask a question of the Kazekage, the redhead already didn't like him.

"I am Rasa Satetsu." Despite the fact they were both supposed to be equals, the man's tone already indicated superiority. "State your name and age."

"Sasori Yoshiko," he said, keeping the distaste from his face if not from his voice. "Thirteen."

The man looked him over, a hint of confliction darting across his thin brows. By his appearance, Sasori guessed Rasa was in his early twenties. They were already at the area they would be patrolling, a large expanse between Sunagakure and the Land of Rain, and Sasori noted how indistinct this part of the wasteland was. "Judging by your face paint, you're from the Puppet Brigade." Sasori nodded, even though it was a rhetorical question. "At what age did you become a Jonin?"

"The Kazekage named me a Jonin three days ago with the initial outbreak of war, but previously I was a Chunin for five years." Again, that look of confliction. In his eyes, Sasori was probably too young for such a responsibility, but to question it would be to question the Kazekage's decision. To ease his suffering, Sasori assuredly said, "Our home has raised us well."

Rasa was clearly surprised to hear him say such a thing, but Sasori had stroked his loyalty too well for him to question it. "Perhaps you'll be a good partner after all." He surveyed the barren area. "How many puppets do you possess and how skilled are you at handling them?"

"Fourteen total: five offensive, three defensive and offensive, one deceptive, five espionage." He didn't include his Human Puppets, of course, as he couldn't risk Rasa recognising them. "The espionage puppets are small, so I can use one finger for each, but the others will require at least two fingers."

A hint of respect appeared. "You're Chiyo's grandson." He spoke as if he'd had an epiphany.

Bitterness swelled. "I am."

Although there was still some doubt on his face, the small conversation had already done wonders to rid Rasa of his initial concern. "Very well, summon your espionage puppets and two others you deem suitable. If we engage in combat, summon two more and swap to controlling them instead of the surveillance ones." Rasa pulled out two wireless earpieces and handed one to Sasori, who instantly equipped it before setting it to the right frequency. "We shall communicate via these headsets. Notify me at the first sign of danger. Is that understood?"

"Understood." He pulled out several scrolls with chakra threads and immediately went about summoning his five Rat puppets, along with Roan and Spit. The latter had its body covered by a long black robe that hid its weapons and it spin top base. Sasori put the scrolls away and attached strings to each puppet before stepping inside Roan's open hatch.

The Rats spread out in all directions, Spit remained in its place and Sasori buried himself and his scorpion puppet beneath the sand for a future surprise attack. Once safely away from Rasa's eyes, Sasori lay back and shut his eyes so he could concentrate on seeing the world through the eyes of his Rats and his chakra. With his newest technique he could perceive the world through even a puppet's gaze, and although it was an amazing technique it often resulted in a serious migraine. Still, Sasori wasn't going to give up the chance to practise.

-x-

There wasn't any action until the fifth day of patrolling the large expanse of desert. "Coming from the North East," Sasori said unexpectedly, even surprising himself. Although his gaze was far from his body, in the eyes of the Rat puppets, his voice was not. He hurriedly got over it. "A group of five Konohagakure Shinobi. Probably Jonin, but possibly ANBU." Sasori dropped his strings on three Rats, but left the north and north eastern puppets attached, although he drastically decreased his chakra usage on both.

"Remember the plan," said Rasa through the headset, and thankfully Sasori was more prepared for the closeness of his voice. With his eyes still shut in concentration, the redhead removed two scrolls from his flak jacket, but his concentration stymied momentarily when he felt a tug on the north eastern Rat's chakra thread. He focussed on its vision, only to find out that a Konoha Shinobi had picked it up. Thankfully his slight chakra signature went unnoticed, and the puppet had once been a living rat. Sasori hadn't even been prideful enough to put his red scorpion tag on it.

"Ew, gross." One of the other Konoha Shinobi swatted the puppet from the man's hands. "Dude, don't just pick up dead fucking rats! You'll catch some weird Suna disease!"

The puppet fell to the ground but was undamaged. "You two," said another, "we're on an important mission here. We need to check the defences of this shit hole and report back to the Third Hokage." They left the puppet where it was and continued moving in the direction of Rasa, Spit and Sasori.

The redhead repeated the information back to Rasa and he could almost hear him clenching his teeth together. "How dare they call our home a 'Shit Hole'! They'll pay for that."

-x-

The five Shinobi were not expecting the ambush they ran into. While they were initially cautious when they saw Rasa and Spit, they obviously thought that against the five of them they had the better odds.

They stopped just a few metres away. A hood covered Spit's face, which - although humanoid – would be easily discerned as inhuman if seen. Sasori watched through the glass eyes of his creation.

The man who had badmouthed their home stood at the front, his face contorted in a cruel smile. "Two Rats? That's it?" He sneered. "This shit hole must have one pussy military." He laughed at his own observation, and the others joined in cautiously.

Sasori could virtually hear Rasa's anger through the headset, but he patiently waited for his cue. "The five of you will have to _go_."

There it was.

Spit came to life. Its head sprung up as Sasori activated the mechanism inside the puppet's mouth. Senbon needles coated in Asuko's poison flew at the Konohagakure Shinobi. They were successfully taken by surprise, but all except one managed to evade. The Jonin, who'd been hit three times, stood still for a few seconds, before he screamed. "IT BURNS! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" He tore at his clothes, but that did not stop clusters of angry boils from breaking out across his skin. His life ended in agony. His body dropped on the sand, dead.

Sasori and Rasa silently agreed to split the remaining Jonin evenly, two and two. Sadly, the one who'd belittled their village was a part of Rasa's victims, but the one who'd picked up his Rat earlier was in Sasori's group. The redhead spun his puppet and the cloak flew off, revealing the amalgam of arms and blades from beneath. Sasori could no longer see his prey, but he was able to sense their whereabouts from their chakra signatures alone.

"It's a puppet!" called one of the men as he frantically glanced around. "We have to kill the Puppet Master! That's what they told us! Is it that guy?"

"No, he's too preoccupied to be controlli-AH!" The Shinobi was dragged beneath the sand by the puppet Sasori had just summoned. Cephalo's joints had been upgraded so it could travel beneath the sands, as if the desert was an ocean. The puppet made short work of the man, stabbing him with its poisoned barbs, and when the Jonin cried out in pain he inhaled the sand. Sasori didn't know which killed him first – the poison or suffocation – but a kill was a kill.

His remaining opponent looked frantically in all directions and avoided staying in one place for too long, but he didn't know where to dodge. Was he to avoid the spinning doll puppet? Was he to be weary of what lay under the ground? Unfortunately for the Shinobi, he had not thought about what might come from above. Phoenix swooped down and easily snared the man in its claws.

He tried to think of a Jutsu that could free him, but his mind wasn't as quick as Sasori. The redhead activated the flamethrowers in Phoenix's feet and the man couldn't even scream as he was burnt to a crisp. His charred body dropped to the ground, and Phoenix circled like a vulture.

"Done," said Sasori into his earpiece.

"Me too." Rasa sounded pleased. "Reseal your puppets and resume formation. Are there anymore coming?"

Sasori did as instructed by his 'equal' and then re-established chakra strings to the other three espionage puppets, scouting the area through all their eyes. "No enemies detected," he said robotically.

"Good." Rasa picked up Spit's cloak and calmly redressed the puppet, ensuring the hood was pulled over its inhuman face.

-x-

He'd been forced to see Komushi that morning, but thankfully Chiyo hadn't given him any new puppet orders, although he expected what free time he had would be erased over the coming weeks.

Karura had finished up with training, so the two had made a day of walking about the village. "How's the squad treating you?" he asked as they stopped off at a small teashop and sat themselves at a table for two.

"They're alright," said Karura, "but they're super immature for nine-year-olds." She exhaled heavily, and a waitress took their order of green tea and dim sum.

"They're getting slacker with the younger generations." Sasori sneered as if he'd been raised in the 'correct' way. "I hope you're bringing them up suitably. Misaki wasn't the gentlest teacher, but she raised us right."

"I'm trying to make her proud," admitted Karura, "but since I'm only four years older than my squad, the clients don't take me very seriously." Karura flicked her hair in a show of frustration. "Honestly, it gets annoying after a while."

"You might be young, but you're a Jonin. Karura, you're more powerful and more _amazing_ than those idiots will ever be, and you're going to do great things with your life." Every word was true.

The blonde smiled warmly. "Wow Saso, you know how to make a girl blush." She batted her eyelashes suggestively, but he just snorted as the waitress returned with their orders. "Enough about my snotnosed brats! How's patrol?"

"It's fine," he answered indifferently. "Although my vocabulary has expanded. I've already learnt four new completely inappropriate phrases, two of which would probably make even Chiyo speechless." Sasori sipped his tea. "I'm working with this twenty-year-old. Even though we're supposed to be equals, he keeps barking orders at me like I've never heard the word 'strategy' before. I'm perfectly capable of killing a few Konoha-Crows…"

Karura swallowed her food with a sip of green tea. "He probably feels the same way about us as we do about my adorable ogres. What's this guy's name anyway?"

"Rasa Satetsu."

Karura nearly choked on her tea. "Rasa?" she coughed. "Dead eyes, washed out auburn hair, hates it when you badmouth his 'beloved' village?" Sasori nodded. "Oh, I had the biggest crush on him when I was little!"

" _You_ had a _crush_ on _him_?" he asked, his face clearly apprehensive.

She grinned. "Don't worry, Sweetie, you're my true love and I'll never replace you, but a girl's gotta have _some_ options, especially with our abysmal track record. Besides, Rasa's super strong and I think he's somehow related to the Third. They have the same magnetic Kekkei Genkai. I bet if something ever happened to the Third, he'd be the one to step in and become the Fourth Kazekage."

"Yeah," he murmured, "I bet that'd be his dream job. Even so, I doubt he'll ever be as strong as the Third." His muddy eyes sparkled a little. "Even being around him is awe-inspiring. I know there's that whole curse, since the last two Kazekage were killed by assassins, but no way is he gonna go down like them! Besides, if anyone _could_ take down the Third, then _they_ should be the one to become the Fourth Kazekage."

Karura sniggered. "It sounds like you're contemplating treason."

Sasori rolled his eyes and his excitement vanished. "Unlike you, I'm smart enough to know where I stand." The redhead looked Karura up and down, and let himself smile a little. "Besides, the outfit wouldn't suit me. Oh, and I'd hate being couped up inside that tiny office, and I wouldn't be able to visit my Den."

"I'm sure you'd find a way," Karura said and returned the smile. "Plus, I think the outfit would look super sexy on you~" She giggled and took Sasori's partly eaten dim sum and finished it off without his permission. The redhead sneered, but just picked up a new one. "Well Saso, I've made up my mind." She straightened up and suddenly exuded an aura of seriousness, as if she were about to say something deep and meaningful. Sasori gave her his full attention, silently curious about her shift in maturity, but when she leaned over her expression was crafty. "I'll only marry you if you become the Kazekage."

Sasori's brow narrowed in irritation, and he planted his palm on her forehead and shoved her away. "Here I thought you were going to say something astute for once."

"Hey," Karura whined. Her dark teal eyes were laced with her usual passion for youth and life. "I _am_ being serious. I know you might not like it, but that's my offer. I won't marry you unless you become the Kazekage." She crossed her arms stubbornly, but then grinned. "Or maybe I'll just go marry that Rasa guy instead~?"

"I don't want to marry _anyone_!" Sasori stated bluntly. "And if I ever did, then you would be the _last_ person I'd spend my life with."

Karura stuck her tongue out and took the last dim sum, eating it primly. "So what if I'm not a fancy girl? You don't want fancy." She took a piggish bite of the dim sum and continued to talk with her mouth full. "You know everything about me, and I know everything about you. I bet you can't even remember a time when we _weren't_ together, and even Yashamaru supports us. Face it, Saso: I'm me, and you love me."

Sasori rubbed his temples. "Firstly, I don't 'love' you. Secondly, I have no intention of becoming the Kazekage now or ever. Thirdly, I will _never_ love you. And lastly, I can promise you right now that I will never ever ever _ever_ get married or fall in love with you or anyone for that matter. I'm asexual."

Karura blinked at him. "What's an 'asexual'?"

"It means I don't feel sexual attraction for _anyone_."

"Saso, we're thirteen."

He rubbed his temples. "I've thought long and hard about this, Karura. I know what I am."

"Wow, you're really set on not marrying me. What are you? Gay?"

"I just told you what I am! I'm asexual!"

She held up her hands to calm him down. "I'm joking! Come on though, promise me. I'd rather be in a sexless relationship with my bestie the Kazekage, than in a sexy relationship with a guy who doesn't understand me and who _isn't_ the Kazekage."

"All you talk about is children."

"Adoption is a thing."

He exhaled. "You call me gay, then still go on about us getting married? What is it with women? You all just love to do completely pointless things…"

Karura clearly suppressed the urge to laugh. "Yeah, because comments like that really makes you sound like you're into boobs."

"But I'm not-"

Karura cut him off, "I heard. But what is it with men and not wanting to make promises? Seriously, you don't even plan on becoming the Kazekage anyway." She smiled that odd smile that only Karura possessed and only Sasori could receive. "Please?"

Sasori sighed in defeat. "Fine." He brought his hand from beneath the table and held it out for her. "I, Sasori Yoshiko, promise to marry you if I ever become the Kazekage."

Karura took the redhead's hand in her own. "I, Karura Kumiko, promise to marry you only if you become the Kazekage."

Their nearly identical bracelets clanked against each other peacefully, as if sealing the promise with a full stop. The scorpion and the wolf shone bleakly, as if knowing the agreement would never come to be.

* * *

Dear Reader,

That weird moment where Rasa didn't have an official name when I first wrote this. Technically I wasn't wrong since I explicitly said 'Takeo' was a fake name, but I decided to just stick to his actual name for the remaster. Man it would've been hilarious if I'd guessed it right…

One of the aspects I don't think I handled well in the original story was Sasori's asexuality. I feel like I kinda pushed it aside as a joke. Writing this story in 2011 was probably my first run in with asexuality, and I guess the joke's on me since I now identify as asexual (autochorrisexual if you wanna get technical). I don't think I comprehended it well when I first wrote it, so I'm hoping I can give a better depiction this time around.

There is eventually SasoDei smut in this story, but there are asexuals who still enjoy sex who just don't feel sexual attraction. Sasori is also aromantic so yay?

Don't forget, my first original novel 'The Hero of Hammersey' is available on Amazon (which also features an asexual character in the main trio), and on the 22nd of March (2019) you can listen to my wonderful (not wonderful) voice gush about Sasori and Deidara on 'The Shipping (pod)cast' (available on iTunes, Tumblr, Fandomish and SoundCloud)! Enjoy!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	13. Sasori of the Red Sand

As White as Blood

Chapter Thirteen

Sasori of the Red Sand

Fourteen Years Old

Sasori was spending his day off in Chiyo's puppet room, reading a scroll he'd 'borrowed' from the Kazekage's secret library. He was enthralled by the information that detailed an experiment designed to give Kekkei Genkai to people who hadn't inherited any. Previous trials had attempted this with adults, but all had failed, so according to the scroll, they'd inserted solid DNA into twenty unborn test subjects instead.

Seventeen died shortly after birth, but three had lasted beyond one week. One of these died at the one-month mark, while the second lasted an entire year before dying from a common cold.

There were detailed notes about the single survivor.

'Subject to facial deformities and weak immune system. Placed into Ninja Academy. Graduated at age seven. Placed into Team Three under the guidance of Misaki Satomi.' The hand writing changed, and he instantly recognised the writing style of his Sensei. 'Daichi's Dojutsu/eye technique is capable of summoning tornadoes. He's devoted to his friends, Sasori and Karura. Has been especially drawn to Sasori, probably because of the similarities in their situations. Loyal to village for now, but too loyal to friends. Killed at age eight by Sasori Yoshiko. Body never recovered. Good riddance.'

Sasori closed the scroll and sat in quiet contemplation. He didn't notice his balled fists, or his clenched jaw, he just focused on the logical information.

The ability to give anyone a Kekkei Genkai…

"Sasori!" called a voice from behind, although the redhead didn't need to turn around at the sound of running footfalls. "Here you are!" He instantly regretted his decision to not go to his Den as Komushi, Chiyo's messenger, reached his side. "Whatcha doing?"

Of course, Sasori couldn't admit he'd been reading a secret scroll stolen from the Kazekage's library, so instead he just opened another scroll he'd taken from Chiyo's shelf. It was on prosthetics.

"Oh! Is it true puppet masters can make prosthetics that move with only basic chakra manipulation?"

Rather than answer him, Sasori put his head down and pretended to read, hoping the idiot got the hint. He was not about to get buddy-buddy with the one person who would report anything he said back to Chiyo. Better to say nothing at all if he could.

"Oh, I nearly forgot!" said the annoyance as he placed a piece of paper on the desk. "Granny Chiyo has a puppet request for you. With the whole war thing going on, expect your puppets to be in high demand!"

Sasori took the written request and glanced it over, resisting the urge to cringe when he saw it was a request for puppets identical to Crow, Black-Ant and Salamander. Puppets should be uniquely made, not just manufactured, but against Chiyo he had no choice. "Of course," Sasori said at last. He instantly stood and surveyed the room for the necessary materials to create the requested puppets.

"Woah! You're already working on them? You should-"

"I don't like to make people wait," he said firmly as he grabbed some spare joints. "I know the war is important."

-x-

"There's a large group coming from the North," Sasori said to his patrol partner, Rasa. "I'm not sure how many there are, but it's the largest group we've seen so far."

"Any odd characteristics?" Rasa asked, on edge.

Sasori dropped his vision of the other Rats and focused on the northern puppet. "The clothes they're wearing aren't from a single nation. As far as I can see, there are people from the Earth Country, Rain Country, and Lightning Country. Some are wearing Shinobi headbands, but most look like refugees."

"I'll question them."

-x-

The group reached Rasa and cautiously stopped. "Yo dude," said a girl in a Kumogakure flak jacket and headband. She appeared to be the group's leader. "We're Shinobi and refugees who're goddamn sick o' this war already. You hearin' me, bro?" She clicked her fingers. "Well dude, we're here ta bring any peace-lovin' peeps o' Suna to safety. We're gonna set up a place in the Land o' Tea 'til this war blows over. Anyone is free to join, even the two o' you if ya want." She motioned to Rasa and Spit, not knowing the latter was a puppet.

"I will talk to my associate," said Rasa with an uncharacteristic uncertainty. "Sasori, I want your input on this. Come on up."

There was a disturbance of sand as Sasori surfaced his puppet Roan. The people were shocked when the giant scorpion appeared, but they relaxed a little once the hatch opened to reveal the young puppeteer inside. He remained seated as he silently surveyed the crowd.

There were hundreds of people seeking refuge and peace, although a few were Shinobi. Could this be an elaborate trap? The Suna Shinobi shared a look of agreement and then faced the people. "Our people are perfectly safe without your 'help'," answered Rasa with more certainty.

"Chill dude," the woman said as she waved her hands in surrender, "we ain't here to disgrace ya. A lot o' innocent peeps got killed in the last war." The Kumo Shinobi clicked her fingers a few more times. "It's what's best for your village."

Sasori realised right then and there that all these people – even the families of refugees - would feel the wrath of Rasa.

"What's ' _best'_ for my village? How _dare_ you come here and say you know what's ' _best'_ for my home! I'll tell you what would've been best for _everyone_?" The prideful man spat at the Shinobi. "If you had never come here!"

The brunette shot the redhead a certain look, and Sasori knew exactly what he had in mind.

Roan's hatch snapped shut and Spit tilted its head. Poisoned senbon launched at the large group. The Kumo Jonin easily dodged, but those behind her were not so fortunate. Screams filled the air and the slaughter began. Although Sasori had hit many with his poisoned needles, he had barely made a dent in the group. He did, however, succeed in dividing them into two, and fortunately more had fallen onto his side than Rasa's.

Sasori rotated Spit and the cloak flew off to reveal the deadly weapons beneath. The people screamed, but it didn't stop him from sending his merciless puppet into the throng. Spit hacked up anything that came within range. Blood oozed into the sand.

The redhead summoned Turquoise and Salamander and sent them directly into the fray of refugees and Shinobi. Turquoise knocked victims to the ground and bowled over their bodies to impale them with its many spikes, whilst Salamander made short work of its prey with hot blasts from its flamethrower.

A few Shinobi regained their composure from the initial attack and - familiar with the art of puppetry - lunged at Roan. If they could kill the puppet master, then the puppets would stop. The redhead rolled his eyes and stayed safe inside his scorpion as he fended off anyone who came too close. Whether it was from the poison on Roan's tail or its giant claws, the puppet made short work on the enemy.

Blood was everywhere. The smell was so strong, even inside his puppet, that he could practically taste it. Even so, Sasori was starting to struggle.

There were so many people and he was growing impatient. He hadn't even killed _half_ of them yet, and they were fleeing in all directions in their panic. Sasori had to make a split-second decision.

He summoned _all_ the marionettes he had brought, including Cephalo, Phoenix, Black Ant, Crow, and Tyke, and then released the strings on his Rats.

He divided his Chakra Threads between his nine-puppet militia. One Chakra String per marionette, excluding Roan who had two attached to him.

The puppets stilled at first and he gasped at the sudden strain on his chakra. It felt like he was trying to move mountains with his fingertips. Fear swept through him, made him dizzy, but then an old voice entered his mind.

 _So, before you even think about the puppet, you must concentrate on your own chakra … To control this bird, first you must guide your chakra from your heart to your hands._

Chiyo's instructions from when he'd first learned how to become a puppet master. He inhaled deeply and focused on the wellspring of chakra inside his chest. It thumped with the thrill of fear and battle.

 _The Puppet Master Jutsu is a balancing act. Too much chakra and your creations will fall to bits, but not enough and they'll collapse on their feet._

He needed to use more chakra. He couldn't be fearful that he'd break them. They were his own creations, made and repaired and upgraded by his own two hands. His chakra would forever flow through their joints, even long after he was gone.

The power swirled in his chest and he finally released it. Chakra shot through his arms like electricity, and the weight of mountains suddenly felt like nothing at all as he took control. The world through their glass eyes became clearer than his own.

He felt awakened.

His puppets, now lighter than air, resumed their chaos.

Sasori felt the power and bloodthirst take hold of his body and he laughed a sadistic laugh as he threw his puppets full force at the fleeing weaklings. The first one to be killed in his revitalised rampage was the Kumogakure Shinobi who'd had the bright idea to lead the people to their fate.

Sasori was an army.

-x-

They were all dead. The silent air was disturbed by the sound of Roan's hatch opening as Sasori stepped out and surveyed the battle scene with his own two eyes.

The sand was dyed red with the blood of the innocent and the guilty.

Sasori commanded his puppets to his side. They stood like soldiers waiting for orders, loyal only to him. Blood was splattered across them. "I'm proud of us," he said affectionately. His arms still trembled from the amount of chakra that moved through him.

"I haven't seen puppetry that expert since your grandmother was still on the battle field." The redhead turned to Rasa, who had successfully accomplished his massacre as well. "It must run in your blood." The man walked to his side and Sasori sealed away every puppet but Roan and finally allowed the chakra to seep back into his chest. A wave of exhaustion swept through him and the shaking of his arms transferred to his legs, but he remained standing. Rasa's gaze swept across the pool of blood and gore that spread out before them and proudly said, "You really are a Jonin."

He glanced at Rasa's side of the battlefield. The sand shimmered like gold, and although he could spy unmoving limbs sticking out from beneath the ground, there was not a trace of blood to be seen.

"Thank you." Sasori felt eerily content with what he'd done. He had just killed so many people - Shinobi, men, women, children, babies - and he was happy.

Sasori had ultimately become what Sunagakure wanted: a heartless killing machine. If his parents could see him now, they would feel just as proud.

Rasa dipped his fingers into the pool of blood and faced the fourteen-year-old with formal grace. His dripping hand reached for the redhead's countenance, and Sasori allowed it. His fingers fell directly over the red fingerprints of his face paint, replacing each dab with equally crimson blood.

"From this moment onwards, you shall be known as…Sasori of the Red Sand."

-o-

That name became ingrained in my identity. For the rest of my life I carried it. In every conversation, in every assignment, in every Bingo Book, I was Sasori of the Red Sand.

The monster inside me was recognised, and Sasori Yoshiko was gone.

Thank you, Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage.

-o-

Sasori and Rasa stood before the Third Kazekage personally as they reported the carnage. He sat as he had last time, with his hands beneath his chin and a thoughtful expression on his face.

Their report concluded, and the Third spoke at last. "I am glad you acted so quickly. The last thing our village needs is unrest." He turned in his chair and watched the sunset through the small round window of his office. "How many were there again?"

"Around two hundred," said Rasa. "Most were refugees, but there were approximately thirty-five who ranged between Genin and Jonin."

Jishaku turned back to them. "You did what was best for our home. I am proud of you both. You will be known throughout the world as heroes, Rasa and Sasori of the Red Sand. Heroes who singlehandedly saved our village from a hoard of ruthless invaders."

-x-

"Wow," Karura cooed from across the Den, "Sasori of the Red Sand? Now that's a sexy name!"

The redhead rolled his eyes and continued to remove the organs from the Kumogakure Shinobi. After he'd left the Third Kazekage's office, he'd returned to the area of his victory and secretly retrieved the girl's body as a tangible trophy.

Karura sat on the opposite side of the Den with Pakura sleeping in her lap. She affectionately stroked the six-year-old's hair while she teased the redhead and watched him work.

"The only title they'd ever give you would be 'Karura of the Loud Mouth'." Sasori turned in his chair and started to work on the heart. "Kumo Shinobi specialise in lightning abilities, don't they?"

"As far as I'm aware." Karura shrugged. "Misaki Sensei specialises in lightning as well, doesn't she? I think she's lightning and wind." Sasori nodded in agreement. "I'm just wind elemental, which is pretty typical around here. Any idea what you are?"

"Why would I need elemental Jutsu if I have puppets? If they're Human Puppets I'm free to use any Jutsu I want. Why bother limiting myself to only one or two elements?

"Two would never be enough for Mr. Perfection."

"Two _isn't_ enough." Sasori put the finished heart down and turned to continue his ministrations on the corpse. "And I am not Mr. Perfection."

Karura snickered far too loudly, "Yeah, more like Mr. Anal."

Sasori slipped and accidentally broke two of the cadaver's ribs. The redhead shot her a daggered glare, but she just put her hands up innocently. "What the fuck is with you and gay jokes?" he growled out.

"Whoa, what's with the colourful language, Sweetie?" Karura covered Pakura's ears. "Honestly, I don't know if I approve of you fighting these people if you're just going to pick up their vulgar vocabulary. You're a hero now, you have to set a good example."

Sasori gave up on trying to repair the broken ribs and simply tossed them into the pile of organs as he set to work on scraping away the flesh. "Hey, Karura, do you remember your little brother?"

The blonde made an odd sound. "Yashamaru? Course I remember him, silly! He's still a Genin in Sensei's group, but he's now got two Genin teammates instead. Personally, I think he should become a Chunin, but oh well. He's been a bit down since you can't teach him anymore, what with patrol and-"

"First of all, you're _twins_ , so of course I didn't mean _that_ 'little' brother." Sasori finished scraping the flesh from one arm and started on the next. "I meant your brother who was stillborn. Do you remember him?"

Karura was strangely quiet, and when she finally talked her voice was odd and detached. "The carving of him is still on the wall outside. It's weather worn and barely distinguishable, but I still see him every time I come here." She'd never talked about it with Sasori, and although he'd never thought too deeply about that when he'd been young, he now found it peculiar.

If she hadn't talked to him, had she talked to _anybody_ about it? Even when her father died at war, she'd never wanted to talk.

"How did you feel when he died?" pressed Sasori when he finished on the second arm and started on the legs.

Karura shuffled into a more comfortable position, while Pakura remained asleep on her lap. "It depends," she said at last, her voice still detached. "It was hard back then… But now it doesn't mean anything to me. Why should it? It was something I was powerless to stop. Death is inevitable, and when it's your time then it's your time. All that will remain of me once I'm gone is my family, and once they're all gone I'll slip into the sweet abyss of forgotten things."

"You want to be forgotten?"

"Every human will inevitably be forgotten."

Sasori didn't agree with the idea, but he understood her sentiment. "When I was five, I felt bad for crying when my parents were gone. The war was important to them. I tried to convince myself that their absence was justified, yet it never sounded fair. Back then, all I could see was me. I was a stupid runt who couldn't grasp the concept of danger, let alone war. Even now, part of me insists I never needed parents, or a grandmother who was there for me. I turned out better without them."

Karura stood and carried Pakura back into the cell. She put her down without waking her and locked the doors as she traipsed to Sasori's side. Karura was completely unfazed by the sight of flesh being scraped from skin. It was something they were desensitised to from a young age. "What about the other part?"

Sasori placed his tool down and turned to face her. "I crave companionship. I wonder what my life would be today if my parents had been strong enough to return to me. If parental love is so powerful, how can parents let themselves die? _My_ parents, your parents, Pakura's parents: if love is supposedly all powerful, how did they die?"

Karura's smile was sad as she pressed their foreheads together, but his Sunagakure headband kept him from feeling her warmth.

They stared into each other's eyes. There was no light to be found in Sasori's, yet Karura's teal orbs were still filled with their old enthusiasm. "Don't you know?" she whispered. "Love is sacrifice."

Karura pressed their lips together in their first kiss.

Sasori pressed his blood covered hand against her cheek, first with the intention of pushing her away but then with the intention of holding her there. He didn't know what was happening or why Karura was kissing him, but for some reason it was happening.

It wasn't good. The smell of blood overpowered her natural scent, his lips were dry, and his leg was itchy. Her short hair brushed his cheeks unpleasantly, and the sound of her breathing through her nose annoyed him. However, despite everything, he didn't want it to stop.

Whether he wanted it or not, it was quickly over. Karura pulled their lips apart and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Sasori let the girl hold him, put refused to let himself return the gesture. Finally he asked, "Can I get back to work?"

Karura released him immediately and grinned. "Of course!" She moved to the water tank and washed the cold blood from her cheek. The topic of the kiss didn't come up, and Sasori was happy to let it go forgotten, yet the topic Karura probed was far worse. "Do you want to talk about Daichi?"

Sasori felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He froze, but quickly forced himself to continue working. "No. People die and we live on. I'm going to live forever, so death is going to become a good friend of mine."

"…What if I died? Would you be upset?"

His fingers shook, but he forced himself to continue. "I would be angry." Sasori had never contemplated the death of his best friend. He wanted to live forever, yet he couldn't imagine how he could live without her. She was the only one who agreed with him, no matter what he said or did. Whether he was a monster or a hero, Karura would remain loyal to him. She was his favourite puppet.

The girl laughed at his simple answer. "Okay then, but if I die, then please don't turn my body into a puppet. Not that I wouldn't love to be one, but I'd rather my body be in the ground rather than on display." Sasori just nodded and continued to work. "So what should we call this one?"

Sasori looked over the unfinished body and considered it. "Well, she was an idiot for leading all those refugees into enemy territory, so I'm going to call her 'Baka'."

Karura laughed so hard she nearly fell over. "Baka? I think that's the best name you have ever come up with! So how much longer will it be?"

"Another hour. I won't keep you waiting. Give Asuko that bucket of blood to drink."

"Can do!" Karura finished washing the blood from her cheek and picked up the bucket, carrying it over to the plant. "Hello Asuko!" The Venus flytrap barked as if it were a dog and lapped up the blood as soon as Karura placed the bucket beside it. The blonde laughed and sat down next to Sasori. "Honestly, you have the coolest stuff ever! A plant that barks, a secret Den, and even a human pet! Consider me jealous."

"I got all this 'stuff' through a little thing called 'Hard Work'. You should try it sometime." He glanced at her briefly. "You missed a spot." Karura groaned and rubbed the blood off at last.

Wait… Blood…

"I think I have an idea," he said as his mind wandered.

"Huh? An idea about what?" Karura grinned. "An idea about how to become the Fourth Kazekage so you can marry me?"

"No," Sasori growled as he shot her an annoyed look, "and shut up about that. Like hell I'd become the Kazekage just to marry an idiot like you."

"Whatever you say, Sweetie."

The redhead sneered and glanced over at Pakura in her cell, before he finally returned to de-fleshing the torso. "I just had an idea for an experiment I've been thinking of."

* * *

Dear Reader,

Ever wanted to hear my voice? What? No? I mean, neither, but now you can hear me rant about SasoDei and how cute they'd be in a coffee shop AU on episode 10 of 'The Shipping (pod)cast', free to listen to on SoundCloud, Tumblr, iTunes, Fandomish and several other sites.

Admittedly I initially hated episode 319 of Shippuden (The Komushi-Chiyo episode). It sorta sucks when you write a dead character's life story and then the anime goes 'lOl JoKeS oN yOu SuCkEr!' and adds a character to their backstory who was supposedly 'integral'. However, I've grown to adore the episode, although it's going to mess up with my timeline a bit, especially with the scene of Sasori inevitably leaving the village (is that even technically a spoiler?) but I'll make it work.

I love Chiyo's moment of 'Komushi was Sasori's only friend!' and then her realisation of 'Oh god he wasn't!'. Great episode. I'm also happy that Pakura's episode didn't mess with my timeline either, so yay!

In all honesty, my knowledge of later Naruto is iffy. I watched the anime entirely up to the point Hidan 'died', then read the last 50 chapters of the manga to find out how everything ended. I know they've added in a tonne of other Akatsuki stuff that not only messes with my timeline but with the timeline of the show as well, so I'm going to be very picky about what I take from the anime.

Oh, and the scene of Sasori vs. Konan from the game (as cool as it is) is definitely not canon, so sorry to let you down!

If you haven't seen episode 319 of Shippuden with Komushi, I recommend giving it a watch. Sasori is a murderous cutie pie and Chiyo is actually shown to be neglectful of him!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	14. ANBU Black Ops

As White as Blood

Chapter Fourteen

ANBU Black Ops

The scent of strong herbs was still on his fingers as he proudly examined the tablet. It was a variation of the plasma pill but instead of replenishing the blood of the consumer, it replaced it with a different blood type. It was the reward of countless hours spent painstakingly mixing and testing ratios, but now it was complete and all there was left to do was to test it.

"Pakura," he said as he walked to her cell, "swallow this." The young girl obediently stood and approached the bars with her small doll forever clutched in her arms. She didn't ask any questions as Sasori handed the tablet to her and she swallowed it instantly. He waited for any immediate actions, but as time ticked by without results he grew impatient. "Feel anything? Pain? Numbness? Nausea? _Anything_ …?"

Pakura went to answer, but instead her face contorted in revulsion. She made thick gagging noises and Sasori quickly grabbed her by the mouth. His fingers left angry bruises but stopped her from vomiting the tablet back up. It had taken so long to make, he wasn't going to let her waste it.

Pakura's eyes widened and she ripped herself away from the redhead's hand so she could release a loud, bloodcurdling scream. She took hold of her thin stomach and dug her nails into the flesh as the pain consumed her, and tears dripped down her face in long flowing rivers. Her thin legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor. Her screams and sobs never stopped, even as blood seeped from every pore on her body. The red diluted her tears and stained her loose clothes.

It looked like it was working smoothly.

At last, Pakura fell in a pool of her own blood. Her body was wracked by sobs and convulsions, but she was still alive.

Feeling so far pleased, Sasori fetched the girl a bowl of water. "Here." He held it through the bars and the girl stopped sobbing at the reminder of her master's presence. She forced herself to her feet and turned blank eyes in his direction.

Her face was wet, yet it was impossible to distinguish her tears from the blood as droplets fell from her cheeks. Pakura's shoulders trembled with what at first he thought was fear but was quickly revealed to be anger.

"AWAY!" she screamed. In the small cavern, the sound was deafening.

A yellow orb formed in mid-air. Sasori's instincts kicked in and he threw himself back against the wall. The bowl he had held moments ago crashed to the ground and he watched in slow-motion as the water sprayed into the air and evaporated before it came into contact with the ground.

His heart was pounding. Neither the girl nor the orb moved.

"A success," he said to himself as he swallowed the lump in his throat. A dizzying feeling coursed through him, an unhealthy amalgamation of adrenaline, pride and caution, but he forced himself out of his battle stance. He didn't think about how close he'd been to certain death, or about how pained the girl must've been: all he thought about was his triumph.

He grabbed his sketchbook and flipped to the first blank page he found so he could scribble down some notes. His body never turned away from the cage and he was writing so quickly he didn't notice the tremble of his fingers. Even so, Pakura did nothing more. The orb vanished and she collapsed as consciousness left her.

He eyed her body for a time, but his nerves finally settled when he caught onto the gentle rise and fall of her chest. The notes were soon finished and the adrenaline gave way to emptiness.

-x-

With one success came the need for something more, a new task to busy his spare time.

Prosthetics. No, not just prosthetics, but prosthetics that could be used by the most basic sort of chakra manipulation: that's what he was interested in. He didn't consider why he was avoiding his Den, and he didn't think much of the new threat he'd created in Pakura, he just got down to brass-tacks and worked on something different to his typical puppetry.

Well, prosthetics _were_ like puppetry, although they required far finer tuned joints than his typical puppets. Still, there was one predicament: a test subject.

With Pakura's new ability, it was no longer in his best interest to attempt removing one of her limbs without the chance of dangerous repercussions. Besides, the users of these prosthetics would most likely be Shinobi returning from the war, people who would already have a grasp on how to use chakra. Pakura wasn't trained at all and so wouldn't make an ideal subject.

He found himself thinking of the bright ball of fire that had evaporated water instantaneously, but quickly focused his attention on the scroll. Who could he possibly use as a test subject? Did he have to wait for wounded Shinobi to return from the front lines?

The door to the workroom banged open so loudly he almost leapt into a fighting stance. He glanced at his right hand. His fingers were already extended, prepared to attach to the puppets that lined the walls of the place.

"Hey Sasori!" loudly called the voice that could be none other than Komushi. "You're actually here!"

As per usual, he ignored him, yet his eyes were still caught on his own hand. Sasori flexed his fingers open and closed as he studied the way his skin stretched over his knuckles and folded at his joints. How could he recreate such intricacies with wood and porcelain?

He hadn't consciously tuned into the sound of Komushi's shoes thumping across the floorboards, yet he knew the boy had reached him. "Whatcha reading?" he asked as he leaned too close, too close, and put his hand on the desk to get a better look. Sasori had the urge to close the scroll but he quickly reminded himself that it wasn't anything confidential. "Prosthetics again? Sounds like a boring read. It's amazing how studious you are! If I were like you, I would've been a Genin years ago, but I guess it's better late than never!"

Sasori glanced up at Komushi at last and his eyes immediately fell on the headband he now wore on his forehead: Komushi had become a Genin. Wait… His gaze slid down the messenger's neck, to his shoulder, then all the way down the length of his arm and finally settled on his hand. His arm from shoulder to wrist was approximately 50cm, while his hand was about 16cm.

"Oh yeah, you've got another puppet request. Granny Chiyo wants some more of those trio puppets. Apparently the ones you made recently got irreparably destroyed, so she needs replacements."

What were those morons doing to his puppets to render them 'irreparably destroyed'? Third rate puppeteers didn't deserve his first-class creations if they didn't treat them with respect! He wanted to scream.

Sasori said nothing.

"Granny Chiyo has been so upset lately!" he continued as if Sasori had seen her. It was sad to say, but Komushi saw more of Chiyo than her own grandson. "She keeps ranting when she thinks I'm not listening about this 'White Fang of the Leaf' guy. The gist I got from it was that he killed your parents, so your Granny wanted revenge on him, but he died before she could." Sasori closed the scroll to mask the jolt of his shoulders. "But isn't that great? He's dead, so you can rest easy from now on!"

Sasori didn't react. He just stood and set about gathering the necessary parts for the puppets. He'd work himself through the night to ensure they were completed as soon as possible.

"I want to try a new poison," Sasori said at last, surprising Komushi with his voice. "Next time I'll give you a list of ingredients."

"No problem!" he said, far too exuberantly for his taste. "We should hang out sometime!"

Sasori returned to silence as he started measuring the pieces of wood and porcelain for the replacement puppets and, with his job complete, Komushi finally left. As soon as he was gone, the redhead picked up a pencil and wrote down the measurements for Komushi's arm.

Perhaps finding a test subject wouldn't be so difficult after all.

-x-

Sasori was back at his Den. He wasn't sure why he'd finally returned there, for he still had finishing touches on those puppets, but something Komushi had said had urged him to check up on Pakura. He hadn't worried about her starving, for he'd left her both food pills and water within arm's reach of the cell, nor had he been worried about her escaping, for she was still a young untrained child. Even so, the mention of the White Fang and Sasori's parents had made him go.

She sat at the back of her cell, holding her doll to her chest while he rocked back and forth. In the darkness, he couldn't tell if she was crying or not, but her small room and clothes were still stained with blood. Pakura was alive, so there was no reason to stay, yet his feet didn't leave.

She was singing something quietly. The tune wasn't anything he recognised, so the only explanation was that it was a lullaby her parents had sung while she'd been a baby. He listened to the lyrics, yet the only word she repeated was 'daughter'.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, although he kept his distance from the cell. Pakura didn't stop singing, nor did she acknowledge him in any way.

"Daughter," she quietly sang, her voice shifting in tone with each repeat. "Daughter, daughter, daughter."

He rolled his eyes. How was she still their daughter? Her parents were dead. Sasori and Karura were all she had left. If anything, she was now more Karura's daughter than her dead mother's.

Pakura was alone in the redhead's cell and it had been her parents' fault, just as it had been the fault of Sasori's parents. Just like Chiyo, who blamed the White Fang for their defeat, Pakura undoubtably blamed Sasori and unconditionally hated him for it.

He noted how desperately she clung to her only friend – her doll – as she rocked her small body back and forth. It was the most precious thing in the world to her, yet it had been made by the same hands that had carved up the cadavers of her parents.

Sasori rolled his eyes. The stupid 'song' had given him a headache. Why had he even bothered to come? He should've been working on his puppets! People were waiting on him, yet he had stopped to check in on the worthless excuse for a human!

"Shut up!" he yelled and banged his fist against the bars. Her entire body flinched, and she stopped immediately, yet that didn't satisfy him. "Your parents are _dead_! I killed them! No matter how much you sing, no matter how long you wait, they're never coming back! They didn't love you enough to survive!" She whimpered miserably and her rocking grew more erratic, but he still wasn't satisfied. "They're _dead_ ," he repeated. "They're art, now and forever!"

She cried at last, but nothing else occurred. Sasori banged his fist against the bar again before he stormed out of his Den, intent on finishing the requested puppets despite the fire raging through him.

-x-

Sasori stood in a room connected to the workshop, where old unusable puppets were typically stored. A small box sat at the end of the room, the lid propped open to flaunt the two scrolls it had held for almost a decade.

The fourteen-year-old removed them carefully and summoned the puppets he hadn't faced since he'd been five: his parents.

When he'd been a child, he'd put his soul into creating the two puppets with the intention of filling a void, yet their existence had only worsened the hole in his heart. They were less than worthless.

At that moment, he yearned to destroy the two abominations, to wipe them from the face of existence just as the people they represented had been. Instead, he forced them to walk around the room. Their limbs creaked with misuse, some joints refused to move at all due to both neglect and poor craftmanship, and their eyes were beady and lifeless. They were inferior to everything he had come so far to create, and he wanted so badly to destroy them, yet something made him resist.

They were relics of some childish fantasy. Since their creation he had come so far. The two parent puppets were his past, and only through their continued existence could he convince himself of how far he'd come since he'd been that child who'd never understood the importance of war and the idiocy of 'love'.

If love was sacrifice, then he wasn't going to sacrifice these disgusting creations that lacked any other purpose. They bore no armour, no weapons and had no defences: they were worthless, and it was for that reason he refused to destroy them.

He silently resealed the dolls and returned the scrolls to the box. Rather than leave it open, he shut the lid and turned on his heel.

It was embarrassing to call the two his very first puppets, yet their creation had been ultimately necessary. Although they were worthless, and useless, and embarrassing, they had taught him much.

Sasori had come a long way since then, and he was determined to move even further. He would move so far ahead that, even if he looked back, he'd never see them again.

-x-

Sasori stood in the Third Kazekage's office, his stance tall and his head held high in the presence of his leader. The other man sat with his hands folded neatly beneath his chin and an expression that was somehow both whimsical and apathetic. "You wished to see me, Sasori of the Red Sand?"

"Yes sir." Sasori bowed low and worked hard to keep the tell-tale quiver from his voice. "I will not bore you with small talk. I want to become an ANBU Black Ops."

Yes, an ANBU Black Ops: mask wearing Shinobi who worked directly for a Kage to perform special high-level missions. It was the highest level a Shinobi could reach, yet to become one was not as simple as undergoing a test. Each ANBU was specifically handpicked by the Kage for their skills and capabilities, and Sasori felt he was ready to ascend. He'd been dubbed a hero, after all, and despite his nefarious secret activities, as far as the village was concerned he was the epitome of a perfect Shinobi.

The man unfolded his hands and pressed his palms against the flat surface of the desk as he figured out how to word his response. "I apologize, Sasori of the Red Sand, but you aren't cut out to be an ANBU Black Ops."

Sasori felt a coldness well in the pit of his stomach. It felt as if his heart had stopped.

"What do you mean?" he asked, an edge of anger and betrayal tainting his voice. He tried to push down his rage, to rely on reason, but the red was too great. "Just one year, and I'll surpass Chiyo as the greatest Puppet Master this village has ever seen!" What had he done wrong? He'd honestly thought the Kazekage would jump at the chance to have him as an ANBU Black Ops! Did he know his secrets?

"I know you are a puppeteer prodigy," calmly replied the Kage, "and your talent alone would make you an excellent addition, but it's far more complicated than that."

Jishaku leaned back in his chair and the redhead noticed an intent desire in his eyes, akin to something he'd often seen in Pakura's. The man had a need: a need to shed himself of the shackles of the office, a need to return to a life of dirtied hands and sprawling worlds of sand and sky. He had a need for freedom, yet he was trapped in this world of office windows and desks and paper.

Even though they were at war, the Third Kazekage was here and he hated it.

Despite Sasori's revelation, Jishaku continued without notice, "I actually consulted your Sensei, Misaki Satomi, on the matter after your recent 'heroism'." He - again - leaned forward and placed his hands beneath his chin. "I hate to make her the bad guy, but she told me you're not emotionally suited for the job."

His fists trembled. "What?" The Jonin forced his anger further down, but with little success. All he could see was red, red, red. "I'm _perfect_ for the job! I understand that the mission comes first, and I've always been willing to put my life on the line for your village!"

Something sparked on the Kazekage's face. "Both those points are true for a Jonin, but an ANBU must know when the mission _doesn't_ come first." Sasori's eyes widened in surprise as everything he'd been taught crumbled beneath him. "From a young age, we teach you that the means justify the ends. It's okay to sacrifice everything for a single goal, but in reality this line of reasoning is nothing more than a simple mantra for simple minds. Unlike Genin, Chunin and Jonin, the ANBU Black Ops are not easy to replace. True we want you to accomplish the mission, but we want as few casualties as possible. You're someone who's likely to go ahead with a plan, even knowing most of a squad would perish as a result, rather than take the time to devise a different plan. You're a sheep, and my ANBU must be shepherds." Sasori was speechless, even before the man asked him the ultimate question, the words that would haunt him until the day he died: "What is human life to you?"

His mind was still preoccupied by the previous analogy. Would the man still think him a sheep if he knew everything he'd done in secret? How could someone be a Shinobi _and_ value human life? The occupation was in opposition to the moral and the moral was in opposition to the occupation.

To be a Shinobi was to take life, not to value it.

Sasori's dumbfounded ire gave way to bitter calmness. He stared down the man who he had valued so highly only minutes ago, and his keen eyes studied him again. The Third Kazekage wasn't a monster or a marvel: he was just a tired man in a small office.

His answer came easily. "Human life is nothing." It felt like the punchline of some stupid joke.

Jishaku's lips twisted into a sly smile. "And your own life?"

Another easy answer, so long as he was being honest. "Everything."

The Third laughed. "Then why are we even having this conversation? I don't doubt you would sacrifice yourself for a mission if it was necessary, but you don't value the village's wellbeing over your own life…and you never will. Without a mission to constrain you, you would be willing to let _our_ home burn down in flames, so long as _you_ survived."

All of it was true. As a Shinobi, the mission came above everything. As a person, _he_ was everything.

Jishaku stood up. He was tall and intimidating, yet the redhead was beyond noticing such trivialities. "In summary, these are the reasons you will never advance beyond being a Jonin: you're unpredictable, you're unstable, and you're a megalomaniac. You aren't satisfied and you never will be. Even if I gave you the position of ANBU, nothing good would come of it."

Sasori bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. How he wished he could kill this old man and make him into a puppet. How he wished he could see 'their' village go up in flames. How he wished to be the one to light the first match.

Art was eternal, but this village did not deserve to be art.

"What if I become the Fourth Kazekage?" he asked without concern.

Jishaku almost looked surprised… Almost. "Anyone can become Kazekage, so long as they're worthy, but life has its limits." The man's smile fell as he considered the bitter fourteen-year-old. "You must accept that if you are ever to be satisfied. In your life there will come a point where you'll have reached the top of the hill, and then the only fate that'll await you is the tumble back down. The higher you climb, Sasori, the harder you'll fall."

Silence stretched by as the words sunk in, only ended when the Third Kazekage sat back down in his chair.

He neatly folded his hands beneath his chin and tilted his head in expectation. "I believe we're finished. Your request to become an ANBU Black Ops is regrettably denied."

"I'm going to live forever…" The words echoed in the small office, as if they'd become trapped as well. "I'll live forever, and on the day I finally reach the top…" His mouth contorted into a malicious grin and he felt his face tremble from the effort. "I will _never_ go tumbling down that stupid hill!"

With that established, he turned and fled the office, only hoping his composure held until he was away from the village he had suddenly grown to hate.

-x-

Sasori was pissed.

All the rage he'd buried inside was bubbling hotter, and the redhead was a ticking time bomb. He arrived at his Den, prepared to blow off steam, only to hear Pakura singing that stupid one-word song again.

Sasori couldn't take it. He practically ripped the cell door open and lunged for the girl with shaking fingers. "Kill me," he said before she could scream. Pakura stared at him, her eyes two giant saucers of confusion and terror. "Kill me! Summon that weird ball thing and KILL ME!"

If he couldn't ever advance beyond being a Jonin, then he was just as trapped as that man in his stupid office. He'd prove to Jishaku how little he cared about his life by making the girl kill him. _That_ would prove just how wrong he'd been!

If he couldn't advance, his life was meaningless anyway.

She screamed in fear, but the orb didn't appear. He slammed her against the wall, hoping pain was the trigger, but she just screamed even louder and clawed at his arms.

"KILL ME, OR I'LL KILL YOU!" he continued to yell. She wailed, yet no matter how much he hurt her, how much he terrified her, nothing happened. He threw her to the ground. "USELESS! YOU'RE JUST AS USELESS AS THOSE PUPPETS!" An image of his counterfeit parents flashed in his mind, and he gnashed his teeth as he fought against it.

He was too angry. He needed an outlet that would settle his fury and return him to his right mind. Pakura tried to crawl away on her feeble limbs, but he easily grabbed her by the leg and dragged her from the cell.

She screamed a bloodcurdling scream: she knew what it meant to be put on the puppet master's bench.

Still, there was nothing the six-year-old could do to stop him as she was lifted and forced onto the operating table. "HELP!" she cried. The only one who heard her was Asuko, but the plant did nothing.

"SHUT UP!" he said as he slammed her head against the table. It didn't knock her out, but it certainly shut her up. "IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT I SAY, THEN YOU'RE BETTER OFF AS A PUPPET!" Sasori tried to restrain the girl while reaching for a scalpel but, despite the head injury, she continued to struggle against him at every turn. "STOP MOVING ALREADY!"

He released the girl, only to hold his outstretched hand above her. Chakra strings attached to her limbs and the chakra swirled in his chest like a torrent of fire. His hand shook as the energy ripped through his fingers and suddenly her limbs slammed against the table and didn't move.

Sasori could still feel her struggling against the threads, but she was powerless to do anything as he ripped open her cloak, grabbed a scalpel and put the blade to her neck to make the first incision.

Red welled from her chest as the silver disappeared into her pale skin. Asuko barked at something, but Sasori was too enraged to notice over the sound of blood in his ears and chakra through his veins. He didn't even hear the figure approach him from behind.

He didn't detect a thing as he went to finally slice the girl open. Before he had the chance, however, something hard and flat slammed against the back of his head.

His hand released the scalpel and his chakra threads disappeared. He watched with horror as Pakura's small hand lifted and wrenched the blade from her skin, sending red in all directions, and then she was moving at him with the knife.

Now he was the one powerless to do anything as he collapsed to the floor. He didn't know who had snuck up on him, or if Pakura had successfully stabbed him, but frankly he couldn't bring himself to care as everything turned black.

* * *

Dear Reader,

Firstly, thanks for all the Kudos, and thanks to Keono, OffColor, MadameSmoke and Super_Stupid for your reviews! They mean a lot to me!

Huh, for some reason that last scene was a bit more uncomfortable for me to write this time than when I first wrote it… Please don't make any darker interpretations of the last scene, it's pretty dark as it already is! Sasori kinda deserves to get stabbed.

I really like the parallels between Sasori and the White Fang in this chapter, although I feel I got to make the comparison more poignant in this rewrite. Two scenes were actually removed from this version's chapter, one involving a conversation between Sasori and Chiyo which I felt no longer suited the neglectful-aspect I have focused on up until now, and another where Chiyo gets upset about the White Fang dying with Ebizu at her side. Both were replaced with the Komushi scene, which is a nice start to his plan for Komushi.

I also removed Pakura's lullaby for several reasons, including: it was eh, the syllable length didn't match, and because I've really lessened her dialogue to make her a more believable child. So instead, I picked the word daughter from the first line of the lullaby and just had her repeat it for dramatic effect. Man this chapter is a doozy!

The scene between Sasori and the Kazekage here is actually one of my favourites. I was planning to animate it once, even did the voice acting parts (I voiced Sasori, and my friend Aug325 voiced Jishaku). I didn't end up finishing the animation, but there's a blooper reel on youtube for it (spoilers, I say 'Oh Gosh' a billion times).

I think that's most of the changes I made. Feel free to compare them side by side if you like!

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


	15. Sasori's Burden Part One

As White as Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Sasori's Burden Part One

When Sasori finally came to, his anger was gone. His chest felt as hollow as a puppet's, but the ache in his head reminded him he was still alive. He tried to sit up, but in the end he had to use his own puppet strings to force his limbs to move. Perhaps he had a concussion. Once he was sitting up, his body obeyed him without force and he released his threads as he took sight of his attackers across the room.

Karura sat with Pakura in her lap, although the child was sound asleep. Her shirt was gone, but a bloodied bandage looped around her flat torso, and the redhead's eyes caught onto the sight of white around his own arm. So, he'd been stabbed after all. He flexed his arm but, although there was some pain, the damage felt minimal.

"Good morning, sunshine!" called Karura, her eagerness eerily offsetting the scene. His gaze flicked back to her and he noticed her large fan propped up beside her. She must've panicked and used it to knock him out. "The Third Kazekage himself sent me a message hawk! Isn't that super cool? His note said you were in an 'appalling mood' and that you'd probably need some company before you decided to do something 'reckless' and 'wholly unnecessary'. Man, he knows you too well! You were about to turn Pakura into a puppet! If that isn't 'wholly unnecessary' then I don't know what is, silly!" She laughed like it was some sick joke, but the ringing in his ears reminded him how real this was. "It's a good thing Asuko trusts me, or I'd be dead right now!"

He turned away and tore the sloppy bandage from his arm. The wound was deeper than he'd thought, although not very wide. Pakura had stabbed him with an unsterilized scalpel, yet Karura had simply bandaged the wound without treating it. Of course she wasn't a medical-nin like he was, but to be this bad at first-aid? He didn't say anything as he placed his palm against the angry cut and poured healing chakra into it.

Karura watched and said with a little more restraint, "I managed to stop you both from bleeding, but I guess I got too used to having you around. I can't even properly tie bandages anymore."

He might've felt humiliated by his actions, but in that moment he couldn't feel any emotion at all. There was something pleasant about it, albeit otherworldly, like he was no longer involved in the scene. Even so, he silently pulled himself towards the two girls and used his chakra to heal the incision on Pakura's chest. He finally forced his voice to work. "I wanted to become an ANBU Black Ops, but the Third denied me. I…don't like being denied."

"Why'd he deny you?"

"I told him human life has no value," he murmured quietly. He still felt distanced from the world. Even his voice, rough and raspy from his screaming, sounded far away. "He told me I'd never put the village's wellbeing over my own. I have to be constrained by missions and objectives to justify risking my life, but without an order I'd be willing to let Sunagakure burn to the ground…I hated hearing it, because it's all true."

"But it isn't true," argued Karura unexpectedly. "You _do_ value human life. The only difference is you only value human life if you can see it, and you only see it with those who are close to you. Me, Yashamaru, Pakura, Chiyo, Rasa, Misaki and even Komushi: whether you like it or not, we all have value to you. I _know_ you. I remember how we were raised. We dehumanise our enemy to survive, but to save yourself you've dehumanised _everyone._ But we've slipped through the cracks. Our lives have value, even if everyone else has none."

She said it bluntly and perfectly and she never stopped smiling as she said it.

If he'd felt anything other than nothing at that moment, he might've felt bitterness towards her. How long had she thought that about him? She was the only one who understood him, yet even then she knew so little.

Sasori finished healing the young girl's wounds but said nothing of Karura's sentiment. "He's a hypocrite. He doesn't want to be cooped up in that tiny office, he wants to be on the front lines. He misses killing. How could someone who misses killing possibly value human life?"

"Let him be a hypocrite! You're better than him! Honestly, you gotta be more careful about your temper!"

"I couldn't control it," he said as he leaned against the wall. "I'd rather feel nothing at all." His skull felt like it would split open at any moment.

From his medical pouch he fished out something to numb the pain, and Karura watched as he went about filling a sterilised syringe with the clear liquid. He buried the point in his arm and injected the bliss without hesitation. Deep down he knew there were better painkillers for treating a headache, but he wasn't in the right mind to waste time on such things. The concoction quickly set in. His body grew completely numb and all sensations of pain and touch vanished altogether.

As he sat staring at the wall with his chest hollow and his skin unfeeling, he wondered if this was how a puppet felt. No emotions, no feelings - only the sweet pool of nothingness.

His paradise was interrupted by Karura. "Think Pakura will forgive you?"

"Don't care," he answered far too honestly. "If she threatens me again, I'll kill her."

Karura exhaled and leaned her head against the redhead's shoulder. He couldn't even feel her warmth, let alone anything else. "It's a pity," she said. "You would've made an awesome ANBU Black Ops, but you'll be a better Fourth Kazekage. Maybe one day you'll let yourself remember what it's like."

"What what's like?"

"What it's like to see a world of living, breathing humans, and not one of potential puppets."

-x-

Fifteen Years Old

Even though he wasn't avoiding his Den anymore, today he was still working in Chiyo's old puppet room. He'd just finished building _more_ replacement Crow, Salamander and Black Ant puppets against his wishes, so he was rewarding himself with more research devoted to prosthetics. The measurements he'd written down long ago buzzed in his mind, as did other measurements he'd gradually worked out through observation and estimation. Shoulder to wrist: 50cm. Wrist to the tip of the middle finger: 16cm. Width of palm: 8cm. Circumference of bicep: 34cm. Circumference of wrist: 18cm.

He'd learnt a lot while building the prosthetic arm, yet he was still waiting for the chance to test it out. As if on cue, his intended guinea pig raced through the doors to interrupt him. "Sasori!" called Komushi as he ran inside without care or consideration. "How're you doing?"

He at least had the decency to stop running when he saw how busy Sasori was working, but even that didn't stop his mouth for long.

"Granny Chiyo told me the last puppets you made were a huge hit!" Of course they were, for she'd actually asked for something different. True, each time he redesigned a puppet it was improved. The joints became smoother, the craftmanship finer, the weapons deadlier, but it ruined his art. "Some day I want to be a cool Shinobi like you! Your puppets get so much praise…"

Sasori was a Jonin while poor little Komushi would forever be a Genin. He had a headband, but with the war his missions had slowed to a trickle and the only work he could get was as Chiyo's lap dog. It was fitting work, nevertheless, and the more Sasori saw him the more he could take note of his measurements.

The redhead said nothing. He heard the Genin dart around his shoulder to get a better look at what he was building, although his movements were erratic. "Are you even listening? It's me! Komushi! Komushi has come to see you! Answer me!"

Komushi did the stupidest thing he could possibly do: he touched him.

His hand grabbed Sasori's shoulder and the piece he'd been working with flew from his hands in surprise. He turned his body to automatically attack the 'friend', but his brain hurriedly reminded him of Komushi's importance and instead he caught the piece before it hit the floor. Sasori stared at it as he recomposed himself. Right, he couldn't kill the annoyance just yet. He was Chiyo's spy. If he wanted to get rid of him, he'd have to do it carefully, and he'd already mapped out how he was going to do it…

But first, he had to finish the arm.

Successfully composed, he calmly turned back to the desk and resumed working on the small joints.

Throughout this, Komushi had remained silent, as if he'd known just how stupid he'd been, but he didn't stay quiet for long. "Hey, I'm sorry," he said at last, "I didn't mean to do that. You're just always so silent. It kinda makes me feel like you treat these puppets better than me." He paused, as if expecting Sasori to take the bait, but he didn't. Even so, Komushi brightened up. "Oh well, guess I'll just wait for hell to freeze over! Maybe you'll talk to me then! By the way, I had a message from Granny Chiyo. She wants those puppets that she ordered sooner-"

With the topic now shifted to duty, Sasori pointed to the hanging puppets he'd already finished. "The Crow, Black Ant and Salamander puppets are finished to her specifications." The arm was nearing completion, so he didn't stop working for even a moment.

"So these are the new models?" Komushi approached them curiously. They looked sleeker than his original creations, although he was happy enough to upgrade his own whenever he could: this was the only benefit of wholly recreating a puppet over and over. "That was quick!"

"I don't like to keep people waiting," he instantly responded.

"Yeah, I know."

Sasori ran his chakra threads through the prosthetic to test the finger joints, knowing the joints would have to be light and easily adjustable if they were to ever be used by someone without expert chakra manipulation. He tested out several different hand movements and they functioned well, although there was something still annoyingly mechanic about the way the fingers moved.

"Woah, that's amazing!" Komushi moved his own hand forward and tried to mimic the movements of the prosthetic. "They look so human!"

Sasori finally looked at Komushi, but his eyes only saw his hand. He mentally ran through the measurements of the fingers: 5.5cm, 7cm, 7.5cm, 7cm, 6.5cm. It all matched up perfectly, so how did Komushi move his clumsy fingers so naturally while Sasori's careful masterpiece was flawed? He watched the way his hand moved with interest and resentment. Komushi clenched his fist and Sasori finally looked away.

"Oh," breathed the idiot, "I almost forgot! She also wanted to inquire about the poison for these puppets." Sasori immediately offered him a piece of paper with the requested information neatly scrawled across it. Komushi took it and instantly read through it while his face tightened in concern. "These medicinal plants are quite rare. You really want to make a poison outta these?" Sasori nodded, his eyes now studying Komushi's face. If all went well, that small list in the Genin's hands would spell the end of these annoying one-sided conversations.

Perhaps, with Komushi gone, Chiyo would go directly to her grandson. They still lived in the same house, after all.

"You'll need permission," he finally said with some reluctance, but then he bravely brightened up. "Okay! I, the amazing Komushi, will be your negotiator! Just give me some time and I'm sure we can work something out with Chiyo!"

"I don't want to wait."

In that moment, his impatience paid off. "Then let's not wait! Come on, let's go!" He hurried towards the door and the redhead was stunned.

It was just that easy for Komushi to go see Chiyo? Nowadays it was difficult for Sasori to see her without an appointment. They lived together, but their paths never crossed. Even so, this moronic boy could see Sasori's grandmother whenever he wanted, even with the war on.

They walked through the house Sasori had been 'raised' in and made their way to Chiyo's room. Just seeing it raised silent alarms in his head. He wasn't supposed to go to her room. She had important work to do. Work that was related to the war. Work that was far more important than he was. He was not allowed to knock on the door, unless it was a life-or-death emergency, but here was the idiot Komushi, running to it without a care in the world.

"Granny Chiyo!" the brunette called as he knocked on the door. "It's Komushi!"

He opened the door before she even responded, and there Chiyo was, turning around on Komushi's account. "What is it?" she asked with only a hint of annoyance. "Did you relay my message to-"

The redhead stepped into sight and her face turned cold. The war was important. Sasori wasn't.

"Granny Chiyo," said the one boy in the room who wasn't actually her grandson, "Sasori has a request."

"What for?" she asked as she stood, her voice weighted by even more annoyance. Really? She was more annoyed by Sasori's presence than Komushi's? In response, the brunette handed her the slip of paper and she read it over without reaction. "I can't say much about it without a proper blending ratio…" She looked up at Sasori.

He stared straight ahead, his face as blank and impassive as a puppet. His entire plan relied on her accepting the poison's creation without the blending ratio. They were in a time of war, so what did it really matter if they made a poison she didn't know how to cure? It would only be used on the enemy, and they wouldn't need to know how to cure an enemy.

"However," she said after careful consideration, "since it's you I'll allow it. I'll personally clear it with the Pharmaceutical Division." Before either of them could respond, she turned her back to them. "I'm very busy right now. Leave me to work."

They hadn't seen each other in a long time, but that was all she said.

-x-

Sasori and Komushi walked down the street together. The redhead didn't really know why he wasn't continuing to work on the prosthetic arm when it was so close to completion, but after his run in with Chiyo he needed to clear his head. The Genin had been quick to go with him.

"You're so lucky!" Komushi said with envious glee. "You're only fifteen, but you're already a pillar of the village! I bet Granny Chiyo is super proud of you!"

As Sasori walked he stared at the ground. His chest felt like someone had hollowed it out again. He was nothing more than a machine with the sole purpose of building weapons for war and murder. Chiyo had never seen him as anything more than that. Besides, she would never be proud of him, for Sasori was faulty. The Third had made that perfectly clear: Sasori was a faulty machine.

"Are you even listening to me?" Komushi strolled in front, his arms folded behind his head and his actions carefree. "Granny Chiyo is always so worried about you." Of course she would be worried, for the Third believed he was faulty. Sasori was traitorous. "I can't wait for people to acknowledge just how amazing a Shinobi I am, just like you are with your puppets!" He stopped and spun around, and even Sasori stopped in his tracks. "My parents still treat me like a kid, and they even tell me I'm not suited to be a Shinobi. But they'll see! I've been given the task of border security! I mean, it's just guard duty with a Genin squad, but so long as I prove myself…"

Sasori stared at him knowingly. Border security, just like he and Rasa. As a Genin his patrol area would be far closer to the village than what Sasori's was, and he'd have the three fellow Genin and a Jonin with him. His thoughts were disturbed by a sudden voice.

"Komushi!" called an older woman as she stormed over to the duo. "Why haven't you come home yet? I've been so worried!" She grabbed her son by the shoulders and shook him around while the redhead watched on.

"Mum! Wait! You're embarrassing me!" Komushi wrenched himself away. "I'm going on border security missions soon, so you can't keep treating me like a little kid!"

She laughed and grabbed him by the arm again. "Honey, you can forget all about missions!" She managed to lift her son and proceeded to carry him away. "I plan to take care of you for the rest of my life!"

Sasori watched as he was taken away. The hollowness disappeared. A mixture of emotions roiled inside him, far too many for his liking. What was it Karura had told him? He saw a world of potential puppets, not one of living, breathing humans. He'd taught himself to dehumanise everyone he encountered, yet he struggled to dehumanise those he knew personally.

So then, what humanised a person? A sense of humour, a loving family, a belief in friendship and determination? He _had_ humanised Komushi.

But Karura was wrong in one regard. It was _because_ he humanised Komushi that he decided to put his plan into action. He was a living, breathing human who had slipped through the cracks in Sasori's defence, and for that reason he would become True Art.

-x-

Sasori surveyed the group through one of his rat puppets. It was after dark, but his sight had adjusted and he was easily able to sense the chakra signatures of the four Genin, although the Jonin with them was more difficult to distinguish. The only one he recognised was Komushi and he was thankful he had several tonnes of sand blocking out the sound of his voice. No doubt the idiot was rattling on about something unnecessary.

He had to think carefully on how he'd do this. Komushi knew his puppets, but for this to work he had to never find out he was behind the attack. Even the timing had to be perfect. He'd found a blind spot in the surrounding patrols, a miniscule amount of time where someone could slip through without being noticed. Of course he was already inside, but if he wanted to keep suspicion away he had to make it possible for an enemy shinobi to have got through.

The redhead had to be quick too, for although he and Rasa dispensed any impending threats, these Shinobi were tasked with sending up a signal and defending for as long as they could. He had to do this without alerting anyone of his presence.

Still, he didn't need to think out anything too carefully. He had to hit the Jonin – the only one with a signal flare - with something that would paralyse him, then he could use a smokescreen laced with a sleep-inducer to knock the four Genin out. No, wrong order. Damn he was impatient.

As soon as they entered the blind spot, he sent Cephalo beneath the sand to attack. The smokescreen launched first and the Nonapus puppet attacked almost simultaneously as it drove several barbs coated in paralysis poison into the Jonin's body.

The four Genin tried to escape the cloud, but they were too inexperienced to stop themselves breathing in the 'harmless' smoke. Before they could leave, their bodies dropped like flies.

Sasori surfaced Roan quickly and used its strong tail to lift the unconscious victims and store them inside its large body. Everything had gone perfectly. He rid all trace of the smokebomb and resealed Cephalo as he made his escape inside the scorpion puppet, even if it was very cramped.

He smiled a little as he surveyed his victims while he escaped. He would turn the Jonin into his seventeenth human puppet, Komushi would lose his right arm, and the other three would return to the village 'unharmed'.

-x-

He'd taken them all back to his Den. Ever since he'd nearly killed her, Pakura rarely said anything to him anymore, not that he cared. She'd never been able to use the Jutsu again, so he'd deemed the experiment a failure and had scrapped it, although he stayed on edge around her just in case.

Komushi would remain unconscious this entire time, while he'd dosed the three younger Genin with his paralysis concoction. They, at least, had regained consciousness already. The redhead carefully propped them against the wall and although their eyes were tearing up, he filled them with eyedrops anyway. These three had a show to see.

On his desk was the Jonin, their Sensei. Komushi had probably demanded to be put on patrol duty, so they'd shoehorned him into another team. By listening to the annoying loudmouth, they'd sealed their fates.

While Komushi was around his age, these three were about eight-years-old. At their age he'd been forced to kill Daichi, but since then the rules had changed. They no longer pitted teammate against teammate, but just thinking of the change made him feel sick, as if Daichi's sacrifice had been for nothing.

"You're so lucky," he said to the three while they stared back with unblinking eyes. "I'm going to show you how to create a Human Puppet." He used his threads to tilt their heads so they could see their Sensei. "But don't worry. If you're good, then you'll have the chance to continue living. You three will become my Sleeper Agents."

Yes, another Jutsu he'd been preparing for some time: the 'Memory-Concealing Manipulative Sand Technique', or just 'Sleeper Jutsu' for short. With it, Sasori could seal away a person's memory by inserting a small needle into the memory centre of their brain. With this he could have Sleeper Agents in every country, spies who'd gather information without even being aware.

He'd amass a collection of living puppets under the sole control of Sasori of the Red Sand.

Unfortunately, the others he'd tried it on had perished shortly after, but at least they'd made good puppets. This Jonin would be his seventeenth, but he was sure he'd perfected the Sleeper Jutsu this time. These three Genin would make for better living puppets, at least for now.

"You won't remember any of this until I want you to. When that times comes, you are to do exactly what I say, or else you will endure the same operation as your Sensei here. He's merely paralysed, like you are, and isn't under the influence of any painkillers. He can feel every ounce of pain he's about to experience."

With that said, Sasori stripped the man and took up his scalpel. He didn't hesitate in making the first incision as he sliced the breathing man open. The three children were forced to watch without the ability to look away or to even shut their eyes. Komushi remained asleep throughout.

-x-

Sasori sealed his seventeenth Human Puppet inside a scroll and waved it before the eyes of the children. "Ever betray me, and the same shall happen to you." Their eyes were empty pools and broken minds. Good. "I'm about to put a needle inside your heads. With it, you'll forget all about this, but if I ever dispel it you are to come to me immediately and do everything I request. Your freewill will be gone. You'll be nothing more than a living, breathing puppet."

He picked up the girl first and set her down on the bloodstained table.

"When you wake up, you'll all claim you were kidnapped by a female Shinobi from Iwagakure, someone from the Explosion Corps." He recalled the face of a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes he'd met on Mother Island. "Tell them she took your Sensei and was about to take you too, but Komushi got in the way. She cut off his arm but panicked and let you all live. You did your best to tend the wound, but you're not medical-nin and could only do so much. You wandered the desert with your unconscious comrade, but you all eventually blacked out from exhaustion."

Sasori picked up one of the small needles he'd prepared earlier and opened her left eye as wide as he could.

-x-

All three sat on his operating table now, the needles in place and all damage healed. Sasori made several quick hand signs and finalised the ninjutsu by saying, "Memory-Concealing Manipulation." He made a half Ram seal with his left hand and pressed his other hand against the girl's face: thumb and pinkie on her cheeks and his remaining three fingers on her forehead. It was the same five prints he painted on his face for every mission, the paint he'd worn with pride for years. Chakra coursed through his fingertips, through the girl's head, and into the small needle embedded in her brain. "Activate."

The seal triggered and Sasori's Jutsu triggered. Her gaze became unfocused as she lost consciousness, and he shut her eyes as he moved onto the second candidate.

Their survival on deactivation was dependent on many factors, mostly depending on who broke the seal. Many things could go wrong. If Sasori removed the Jutsu, there would be a 5% death rate, and a separate 15% chance of the victim going mad over time.

If some other medical-nin removed it, there was an 11% death rate, and a 49% chance the victim would go mad, although this changed depending on the skill of the medical-nin.

Sasori wondered about the statistics of survival for someone with _two_ needles. The rate of survival would be absurdly low, even if Sasori broke the seals. There would not only be an 18% chance of death, but there would be an added 80% chance the spy would go insane, leaving only a slim chance of them surviving with both their life and lucidness intact. Sasori didn't need an army of dead or useless spies!

He'd never insert more than one needle inside someone's mind… _Ever_ …

-o-

Okay, maybe I should've listened to the advice of my younger self. I was naïve and petty, but at least I was logical and, well, not blinded by rage…

But dammit, that Brat pushed me too far! It's not my fault I ended up sticking another needle inside his head! It was his fault, not mine!

…Sorry, he's always brings out the worst in me.

I should've listened to my younger self. I shouldn't have inserted a second needle inside Deidara's head just to make him forget things I didn't want to confront.

What I did to him was a mistake, and even in death it shall forever be my burden.

-o-

He dumped the four Genin in a place they would be easily found. Komushi's right arm was gone, cut cleanly midway along his bicep. The cut was intentionally crude and he'd carefully tended the wound in a manner that was both effective yet amateur, only using the medical supplies the Genin had brought with them on patrol. He'd savoured butchering off the limb, although he wished he'd been able to do it while Komushi was awake and aware - he would've loved to hear the screams.

Still, he returned home normally that night as if nothing had happened. Chiyo, of course, was nowhere to be seen.

Sasori reached his room and collapsed on his bed, feeling the exhaustion of the day sweep through his limbs. In the morning he'd discover just how successful he'd been, but for now he didn't even care. Tomorrow he'd find out the names of the three Genin, would offer to 'build' Komushi a prosthetic arm, would finalise the blade in the palm, get to test out just how effective his poisons could be, and he'd line up his next human puppet. It was going to get busy.

A long time ago he'd thought it more difficult to kill an enemy than a friend, but as he lay there waiting impatiently for sleep, he knew he'd been wrong:

An enemy knows an enemy from the start, but a friend has no idea until it's too late.

* * *

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the most changed chapter so far in the remaster as I squeeze Komushi, a character that wasn't even in the original story, into his rightful place! It's a long chapter, nearly 5000 words, even though 3 scenes were removed: one of Sasori on patrol thinking to himself about Asuko (the person, not the plant), one of Sasori talking briefly to Pakura and then explaining about how he's going to kidnap some kids for the jutsu, and him talking to the 3 Genin at the end of the chapter.

Keep your eyes on Sasori and his use of painkillers in the remaster as well, cause I plan to make it more of a thing this time around!

Sasori's pettiness levels are through the roof. Must come with his age. All of the Komushi scenes in this chapter (aside from the attack and stuff) are from the anime (episode 319), which is actually a pretty good episode, even if the art on Sasori (especially his pupils) goes kinda weird from time to time.

Yeah, that's pretty much it… Comments/Reviews make me kill Komushi faster!

Next Chapter: Hiruko's Hammer

Yours Faithfully,

Woolfy


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